


Becoming

by Slash_addict



Series: Burning Bridges [3]
Category: DCU
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-13
Updated: 2011-08-13
Packaged: 2017-10-22 13:53:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/238744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slash_addict/pseuds/Slash_addict
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Conner is back and is having to deal with the fall out of being dead.  Jay and Bruce are trying to make their relationship work but finding it more difficult than they had originally predicted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Becoming

**Author's Note:**

> This is on going story arc, please read Unbecoming and Shades of Gray in order to make this make any sense whatsoever.

Becoming  
Chapter One  
   
"OH MY GOD CONNER!" Cassie slammed into him at full speed and Conner nearly fell over.  
   
"Hi Cass, it’s nice to see you too." He grunted.  
   
Cassie wouldn't let go of him, she was running her hands over him as if she couldn't believe what her eyes were telling her was true.  
   
"Is- is it really you?" She turned to Robin, who was standing next to him with a huge grin on his face. "How did you do it? Is it really him?"  
   
"Hey, I'm standing right here!" Conner complained. "And yeah it's me. Rob cloned me again." He glanced up as the others moved towards them at a more sedate pace. "Hey guys." He waved at them.  
   
Cyborg grabbed him by the hand and pulled him into a hug. "Welcome back man."  
   
"Thanks. Same to you, Rob tells me you've been down and out as well."  
   
"Yeah, but I bet it took a bit more to get you back on-line that it did me." He turned to Robin. "I gotta say, I'm impressed. How on earth did you do it?"  
   
Robin grinned. "I didn't. A couple of friends of mine did."  
   
Conner rolled his eyes, and resisted the urge to smack Tim in the back of the head. "Oh stop, both Jay and M said that you were a huge help." He turned back to group, "He’s just being modest."  
   
Cassie, who still hadn't let go of Conner, glanced at Robin. "Who are Jay and M?"  
   
"Friends of mine from Gotham."  
   
Conner hailed Kid Devil and Rose, who had hung back. "Hey guys, welcome to the team."  
   
Rose's eyebrows shot up and Kid Devil smiled. "Thanks! Um, I'm glad you're not dead?"  
   
Conner laughed. "Yeah me too! So what else has changed? Dude, Cass, you're gonna rip my shirt, man." He laughed as she made a face and finally let go of him. "Somebody give me a tour!"  
   
As they started on the circuit of the tower, Cyborg asked, "So are we the first to know?"  
   
Conner nodded. "Pretty much, after here I get to go by Supes and then the Kents. So don't anybody start running around saying I'm alive till I've gotten a chance to tell them or they're gonna so be pissed."  
   
The group laughed, giddy with excitement over the return of one of their own. Kid Devil and Rose, bringing up the rear of the tour, exchanged glances. Cassie was hanging onto Conner's arm, filling him in on everything that had happened while he'd been gone. Most of it Robin had already gone through but he let her because it seemed to make her happy. At one point he caught Rose doing an imitation of Cassie for Kid Devil who stuffed his hand in his mouth to keep from laughing. Conner caught her eye and grinned. She hesitated and then shrugged.  
   
The tour ended back in the main room and Conner managed to disengage himself from Cassie as he said, "Alright gang, I've got to go see the mentor. Don't nobody burn nothin’ down or die while I'm gone, got it?" He took off before Cassie could suggest coming with him, and they watched him fly out of sight.  
   
* * *  
   
Once Conner was gone they rounded on Robin.  
   
Cassie's eyes narrowed. "It’s not really him, is it? It can't be."  
   
Robin sighed internally. This wasn’t unexpected but he’d been rather hoping that they might at least give him a chance. Apparently not. "It's him Cass, I promise."  
   
Cyborg shook his head. "Robin, you can't just re-clone somebody, he might have Superboy's memories but it's not the same. He's not Conner."  
   
“Yes. He is. My friend M, she went to the world of the dead and brought back his soul."  
   
The room was quiet.  
   
"You-you can do that?" Kid Devil asked finally.  
   
Robin shrugged. "I can't but she can, and did. I promise guys, it’s not some cheap imitation, it really is him. Once we managed to track down Raven, she can verify it for you if you need her to, but it really is him." He watched their reactions carefully. Cyborg seemed thoughtful, Rose was apathetic as usual, and Kid Devil was indifferent. Cassie however, launched herself at him, grabbing him around the middle as she whooped.  
   
 "Oh my God this is amazing! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much!"  
   
Cyborg was rubbing his chin. "You know we could use a magic wielder of that caliber on the team."  
   
Robin shook his head as he pried Cassie off of himself, wondering how Conner had managed to make it look so easy. "She's not interested,” he replied distractedly, “I already tried."  
   
Rose snorted. "What we're not good enough for her?"  
   
Robin frowned at her. "No, she's just got enough on her plate as it is."  
   
Cyborg’s eyebrow rose. "Oh?"  
   
"Sorry." Robin shook his head. "I tell you what, I'll try and get her to come by, at the very least so you can all thank her, then you can try for yourself."  
   
   
* * *  
   
“I have good news.”  
   
“It’s about time,” muttered a voice in the darkness  
   
The first speaker ignored him. “I’ve finished rechecking all the systems. There was some minor damage that had to be repaired,” gloved hands gestured as he spoke, “but we are essentially back to where we were before the Crisis. If everything else holds we should be able to implement the virus within the next four to six months.”  
   
“I’ve heard that before.”  
   
“That is very good news,” a third, patrician, voice responded, ignoring the acid comment. “I shall begin my preparations. I would suggest you do as well,” he said, indicating the second speaker.  
   
“I’ve been ready for two years now,” came the tart reply.  
   
“Wonderful. Soon we shall see the dawning of a new age.”  
    
* * *  
   
"I don't know M. You can go if you want, but I'm not really ready to go hang out at Titan Tower. Dating Batman is enough for the moment, thank you."  
   
"How is that going?"  
   
"Oh fuck. Hold on, no, no you stupid beaker don't, shit. M, I'm gonna have to call you ba- Jesus!"  
   
"Jay?! Jay!"  
   
"I'm here. I'm fine. Bruce just though it would be fun to scare me out of my mind." Bruce, or rather Batman, was standing in the window of the lab looking apologetic, "I'll call you back after I've strangled him, ok sweetie?"  
   
Miriam laughed. "You two have fun."  
   
Jay turned to Batman. "Seriously man, we have these things they’re called doors."  
   
Batman grinned at him. "Have you ever known me to come in through a door?"  
   
"You should give it a shot then, just for novelty's sake," he groused as he began moping up where the beaker had boiled over, while he tried to get his heart to stop racing. "So did you have a point in coming by or did you just want to see how high you could get me to jump?"  
   
Bruce pulled the cowl down and shook his head. "I was driving by. What are you doing at work? It’s 4:30 in the morning!”  
   
Jay, under the table now wiping up the rest of the spill, asked, "Are you at home?"  
   
"I should think the answer to that is rather obvious, Jay."  
   
"Then why should I be?"  
   
"Jay. . ."  
   
"Oh don't Jay me."  
   
Bruce snorted as Jay climbed out from under the table. "You know you are the most recalcitrant employee I have ever had?"  
   
Jay wrung the towel out over the sink and smiled at him. "I love you too. What time are you finishing up?"  
   
"Provided that nothing goes wrong? And in this city that’s a pretty big if, about six-thirty to seven." He gave him a smile. "I should be at your place no later than seven-thirty." Jay, who had come to stand just in front of Bruce, let himself be pulled into an embrace. Jay kissed him hard and then shook his head. "What?" Bruce asked.  
   
"I can't feel you through all this."  
   
Bruce slid a hand along Jay's side, following the line of his hip so that he ran a bare centimeter from Jay's stirring groin. He pulled Jay closer and whispered, indicating Jay’s groin. "Me too."  
   
Jay squeezed his eyes shut and pushed his hips towards Bruce. "How long can you stay?" he asked breathlessly.  
   
Bruce seemed to weigh the decision and then started pulling him towards a chair. "Long enough."  
   
He pulled Jay down into his lap, taking a moment to strip off the gauntlets. This was only the second or third time that Jay had seen Bruce in costume, knowing that it was in fact Bruce under there. They were still working out the kinks before they advanced the relationship much further. One of these days Jay was going to get up the nerve to ask to have a ride in the damn car, a ride where he wasn't A) unconscious, B) drugged, or C) cuffed and on his way to Arkham. It was going to be so much fun to get to play with all those damned buttons. It had only been a few days since the revelation, they had kept their schedule pretty much the same Bruce "working" nights and coming by in the morning to sleep for a few hours and then fuck him into the mattress if they had time, or exchange hand job and blow job if they didn't. It was nice, but they both knew that they needed to allow time for them to adapt to the situation as it now stood. Jay suspected, however, that they were both doing a great deal better with it than either had anticipated. The mind-blowing sex helped.  
   
Bruce had just teased him out of his Bugs Bunny boxers, "Where do you get these things?"  
   
He sighed as Bruce started to stroke. "Wha- oh I like' em."  
   
Bruce chuckled in his ear. “They’re very you.”  
   
Jay grinned. “You should see the ones I got yesterday.”  
   
“Oh?”  
   
“Yeah, they’ve got the Bat signal on’ em.” He could feel Bruce roll his eyes. “Yeah that’s right and all the innuendo that goes with it.”  
    
* * *  
   
Conner was standing outside Superman’s door. He’d been standing there for the last ten minutes and he was really wishing that he’d brought Tim along because, damn, this was gonna be weird. People couldn’t be all emotional when there was a Bat around. Well, most people, Clark never seemed to mind. He sighed, might as well get this over with. He knocked on the door, it was answered by a woman with long dark hair and a cell phone plastered to her ear. Her eyes went wide.  
   
“Um, Joan I’m going to need to call you back. No, no don’t worry it’s nothing. I just realized that I’ve got to be at a hair appointment in about twenty minutes. Mmhm, I’ll talk to you later. Bye.” She held the door open. “I think you’d better come in.”  
   
Conner entered, feeling very self-conscious. Maybe he should have just gone to the Kents first, and then they could have called Clark. He’d never really talked with Lois before. She always struck him as kind of cold, but hey whatever, too late now, right? She followed him into the immaculate living room. Figures, she’s a neat freak, he thought as he looked around the place, hell they both probably are. “So, um, is Clark here?”  
   
“Yes. He’s getting dressed.”  
   
“Lois have you seen my-” Clark’s eyes went wide. “Conner?!”  
   
He gave him his best cheeky grin. “Hey Supes how’s things?”  
   
“Oh my God, is it really you?”  
   
“I’m gonna get that a lot, aren’t I?” he asked ruefully, “Yeah, it’s really me. Robin and a friend of his named Jay re-cloned me. And M, another friend, she went to the land of the dead and dragged my silly ass back here. So here I am.” He waited, wondering if that was going to suffice. Of course it didn’t.  
   
Clark’s eyes were still the size of saucers. “Who- who is Jay? And M? Who are these people? I’ve never even heard of them.”  
   
Conner shrugged. “They’re local kids. They don’t really play on the national circuit, if you follow my meaning. But they’re really great,” he added quickly at the frown forming on Clark’s face.  
   
Lois was looking from him to Clark. “I thought the technology to clone individuals had been lost?”  
   
“It has been. Or we thought it had been. S.T.A.R labs is certainly going to want to talk to him. They’ll probably want to offer him a job.”  
   
Conner rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, well he’s got a job and I don’t think he’s really gonna want to talk to anybody.”  
   
“Why?” Lois asked, looking surprised.  
   
“Because, well, they don’t want to be a part of all this.” He indicated the S on his shirt. “They were just trying to help Robin and, you know, me, out because they’re his friends. They don’t want any publicity.”  
   
Clark frowned. “They told you this?”  
   
“More or less. Please Clark, I don’t want to make things difficult for them. They did a really great thing. If they don’t want a bunch of people bugging them about it – and can you really blame them? Then we should, you know, leave it alone.”  
   
Clark nodded slowly. “I will need to speak with them, but if you’d like to make sure that it doesn’t go farther than that, then I’m ok with that.”  
   
Conner nodded. He had known that Clark was going to want to speak with them, regardless of whatever he said. He’d said as much to Miriam who had shrugged and replied, 'Honey he’s welcome to try.'   
   
Conner sighed. “Well I don’t know his last name. We just called him Jay.” He neglected to mention that he had his address. “Miriam is the head of Arkham Asylum, that’s where you can find her. She’ll know where Jay is.”  
   
Clark nodded and placed a comforting hand on Conner’s shoulder. “I just want to thank them, Conner. I’m not going to interrogate them or anything. What they’ve done is-” he cleared his throat. “It’s wonderful to have you back. I just want to thank them for that.” He pulled Conner into an unexpected hug, but Conner hugged him back. It was . . . nice, he’d missed them. He’d missed all of them.  
   
* * *  
   
“Well, you’re new. I don’t get too many primary colors through my window.”  
   
Clark blinked at the woman sitting at the desk. She was nothing like what he’d pictured, short, with full lips, long dark hair and green eyes, she was achingly beautiful but beyond that she seemed . . . poised was the word he wanted to use. On the edge of action. She looked him over with eyes that seemed too old for her, it reminded him of Bruce.  
   
“I came to talk to you about Conner.”  
   
“Mmm, the giant S on your shirt kinda tipped me off. What did you want to talk about?”  
   
“He said that you ‘walked him back from the dead?’”  
   
“I did.”  
   
“How were you able to do that?”  
   
She eyed him for a moment. “What’s your real name?”  
   
Clark blinked. “We don’t give out our secret identities,” he replied as politely as he could.  
   
She smiled at him. “And I don’t give out personal information to random strangers who happen through my window.”  
   
“Alright, then may I ask you another question?”  
   
“You can always ask.”  
   
In other words I can ask, but you may not answer. So much like Bruce. It must be this city. It does something to people. Clark nodded. “It is really him?”  
   
This time the smile was genuine. “One hundred percent grade A Conner. You have my word.”  
   
Clark returned her smile. “Then . . . thank you.” He turned to leave. “Oh, Miriam?”  
   
“Jay’s not interested in a job at S.T.A.R labs, thanks all the same.”  
   
Clark nodded. “Just thought I’d ask.”  
   
* * *  
   
Robin easily dodged the punch that was aimed at his head. He ducked, feigned a blow to the left and then dropped lower and swept his assailant’s feet out from under him. He turned, using the momentum to carry him through the next series of punches. That was three down, where was- ah, he vaulted over the tumble of boxes that they had scattered during their fight and slammed down on top of the last of his would-be assailants. The man groaned, hands scrabbling out around him trying to find purchase on the gritty floor of the warehouse. Robin knelt swiftly and jabbed two fingers into a nerve cluster, knocking him unconscious. He turned back to the others, and after ensuring that none of their injuries were critical pulled out an extra grappling cable and began roping them together as he put in the call to Oracle. She was impressed, this was the third group of the night and it wasn’t even past one yet. Robin double checked his knots and then headed for his bike. The blood was still pounding in his ears and the adrenalin from the fight had yet to burn itself out as he wheeled out of the parking lot and back onto the highway. He spun the dial of his police scanner searching for anything.  
   
He had wanted Conner back. He had not let himself think about the reason, about the why of it. He had lost so many people; he wanted one of them back. That had seemed logical enough at the time, but if he was going to. . . he shook his head and spun the dial again and snarled silently, this was Gotham goddammit, there had to be something! Miriam had pushed him to think beyond the flimsy excuses that he had provided to himself and to her, and once done it could not be undone. He was happy that Conner was back, ecstatic. But with his return came a sudden self-knowledge that was going to take some getting used to.   
   
The scanner crackled to life, blaring out a call for all units to head to 55th and Burkle. Robin ginned mirthlessly into the night and spun the bike in the middle of the road and roared off in the other direction.   
   
* * *  
   
Jay opened the door wearing plaid pajama bottoms, a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. He blinked at Conner who was standing on his doorstep.  
   
“Well, hellro,” he said around the toothbrush. He cocked his head. “Are oo ok?”  
   
Conner smiled at him. “Yeah, I’m fine. I was just wondering, if the offer was still open, if I could you know, crash here?”  
   
Jay grinned around the toothbrush. “Alwrys.” He beckoned him into the house and held up a finger indicating that he would be just a moment as he headed back to the bathroom, he came back a moment later and that was when Conner noticed the T-shirt he was wearing. It was light blue and said “Fact: Clowns Eat People.” Conner’s mouth fell open.  
   
“I cannot believe that you are wearing that!”  
   
Jay frowned, glancing down. “Wear- oh.” He grinned. “M gave it to me.”  
   
“That’s just wrong, man.”  
   
Jay grinned wickedly. “So how did the re-introductions go?”  
   
Conner shrugged. “I don’t know. Ok I guess. Cassie wouldn’t get off me and then when they thought I was gone they started in on Rob about how I couldn’t really be me. And then I went to see Supes and he wanted to know about you and M and-” He sighed. “Damn it, the only people who were even remotely normal about it were the Kents. And they’re the only non-Capes in the bunch.”  
   
“Have you eaten?”  
   
Conner blinked. “Um, no actually.” At the mention of food he was suddenly ravenous. “Could we, like, order Pizza or something?”  
   
Jay grinned lopsidedly at him. “Conner, s’three thirty in the morning, even the pizza shops around here have all given up for the night.”  
   
“Oh . . . right. Sorry. I didn’t realize how late it was, did I wake you?”  
   
“Me, naw, I just got home. I work odd hours,” he explained at the surprised look on Conner’s face. “I’m something of a workaholic.”  
   
“You know, I could have guessed that.”  
   
Jay chuckled. “Do you like waffles?”  
   
“Doesn’t everyone?”  
   
“Waffles, it is then.”  
   
Jay got out the bowls and started mixing up the batter. Conner, who had never seen anyone cook from scratch before, asked curiously “What are you doing?”  
   
Jay glanced up. “I’m making waffles.”  
   
Conner looked confused. “I though they came in a box.”  
   
Jay laughed. “Not the good kind they don’t.” He was silent for a moment as he began pouring the batter onto the griddle. “I’m sorry that people have been a bit strange. But then, people were strange when Supey came back from the dead, they’ll get used to it. You’ll see.”  
   
Conner watched, fascinated as Jay swirled the remaining batter in the bowl. “So you really don’t mind if I crash here?”  
   
“Doesn’t bother me in the least, I’ve only got the couch right now, but if you want to stay for a while we can go get you some stuff tomorrow.”  
   
“Oh you don’t have to do that, I don’t mind the couch.”  
   
Jay waved it away. “Let me, I’ve got this fantastically well-paying job and nothing to spend the money on beyond buying dinner for Bruce.”  
   
Conner looked up. “Who’s Bruce?”  
   
Jay grinned. “He’s my boyfriend. You’re cool with right?”  
   
“Totally. So, um, does he know about you. . .”  
   
“Having been the Joker, yeah,” he said quietly, “he knows. And no, it wasn’t easy but we’re working on it.”  
   
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to pry.”  
   
“Conner, you don’t have to tiptoe around me kiddo, I’m not gonna break. Trust me.” Jay set down a plateful of waffles in front of Conner. “Eat up.”  
   
Conner took the first bite, and swore that he’d died again and gone back to heaven, this had to be the most amazing thing that he’d ever put in his mouth. He practically inhaled the first batch. Jay was more than happy to keep refilling his plate until he finally pushed it away, his belt groaning under the pressure.  
   
“You are the most amazing cook!” he enthused  
   
Jay raised an eyebrow. “They’re waffles Conner. You want real food I’ll make you dinner tomorrow.”  
   
“Really?”  
   
“Sure, right after we go shopping.”  
   
*  
   
Once Conner was bedded down on the Couch, Jay called Bruce on the 'Bat phone' snickering as he dialed.  
   
“Batman.” Jay suppressed a shiver. That voice, damn but that was going to take some getting used to. He tried for light-hearted but he was pretty sure that Bruce knew that it had upset him because when he responded he’d changed back to 'Bruce Wayne Voice.'  
   
“Hey Bruce, I just wanted to let you know that I’ve got Conner crashing on my couch, so you’ll want to be extra stealthy when you get in. Just don’t scare the crap out of me.”  
   
“What’s Conner doing there?”  
   
“Oh, I think this is all a little overwhelming for him, I’m not sure, never having been brought back from the dead, but I was close and I’ve got to say that it’s pretty traumatic. And people have been giving him a hard time, you know asking if it’s really him and stuff.”  
   
“Do you still want me to come by?”  
   
“Always. But if you don’t want him to see you here I understand.”  
   
Bruce snorted. “I couldn’t care less what he thinks Jay. I’ll see you around seven, oh, and Jay?”  
   
“Yes?”  
   
“If you press seven six after you’ve dialed the system will alert me that it’s you calling.” He left the rest of the sentence unsaid.  
   
“Thanks.”  
    
* * *  
   
Bruce slipped into the room and began stripping out of his costume when he heard a muffled moan from the bed.  
   
“No please—I’m sorry. No.” Jay was soaked in sweat, the bed sheets were a tangled rats' nest around his legs. Alarmed, Bruce leaned over and shook him gently.  
   
“Jay. Jay, wake up.” Jay’s eyes snapped open and he glanced up at Bruce and screamed, shoving backwards he went over the edge of the bed and hit the wall with an audible crack and then slid down to the ground.   
   
Conner was suddenly in the doorway shouting, “No! Leave him alone! He’s good now!” He slammed Bruce into the far wall, winding him. Bruce struggled against the black spots crowding his vision and angled to get a hold of his wrist so he could-  
   
“Stop it!” A shout rang out. They both turned to find Jay standing, swaying slightly, hand held to his head, a trickle of blood seeping between his fingers. “Conner leave him alone, he’s not here to hurt me.” He sank down on the bed. “Now could somebody fetch me a bottle of aspirin, please?”  
   
Conner let go of Bruce and backed away, confusion on his face. “I don’t understand- Jay?”  
   
“Bruce, Conner, Conner, Bruce. And yes, Conner, I was the Joker and now I’m dating Batman, it is a very long story.” He groaned. “Seriously could somebody get the aspirin?”  
   
Conner leapt into the air. “Sure.” He licked his lips looking from Bruce who was only half-way dressed, back to Jay. “Where is it?”  
   
“Med cabinet in the bathroom.” As Conner zipped off to fetch it, Bruce hurried over to Jay  
   
“Are you. . .” He swallowed. “That dream was about me, wasn’t it?”  
   
“It’s fine. I just-” He closed his eyes and suddenly found himself in Bruce’s arms. “I’m fine,” he whispered.  
   
Conner reappeared with a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin. Jay blessed him and took four. Bruce eased Jay’s hand away from his head and hissed. “Jay, we need to get you dressed. We need to get you to the hospital.”  
   
“Don’t be silly, I’m fine.”  
   
“Jay,” Conner interjected, “it looks really bad, you have a fracture in your skull.”  
   
Bruce looked up sharply. “Alright we’re going. Now.” He picked up Jay bodily and Jay sighed.  
   
“Bruce put me back down, for pity's sake and call Miriam.”  
   
“I’ll call her,” Conner said zipping back out of the room  
   
“Jay talk to me,” Bruce begged, “Don’t shut me out.”  
   
“It- it was just a dream Bruce. It wasn’t real.”  
   
“Please.”  
   
“I, you, you took me back to Arkham. Old Arkham, before Miriam. You said-” He squeezed his eyes shut. “You said that it had been a mistake. That you didn’t really- that this was where I belonged. You were so angry and you wouldn’t tell me what I’d done.” He was crying now, silent tears running down his face. Bruce pulled him closer, careful of his head.  
   
“No, Jay. This is not a mistake and I do love you.” He kissed him gently on the temple. “And I will never take you back there. Never.” He kissed him again. “I swear.”  
   
“I know,” he whispered. “It was just a dream. It- it was just so real. Like something the Hatter used to make. God, I was so scared.”  
   
Conner cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Um, Miriam’s here.”  
   
Jay looked up, wiping his face. “How on earth did she get here that fast?”  
   
“I went and got her,” Conner said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
   
Bruce had only seen Miriam in her true likeness once and he hadn’t really been paying attention. This time, he realized that she was even younger than he’d first thought. She was dressed in plaid pajama bottoms similar to the ones Jay was wearing and a tank top that exposed an amazing amount of tattooed flesh. She hurried over to Jay and placed her hands on his head. She closed her eyes briefly and then opened them, shaking her head as she checked over the rest of him.  
   
“Seriously, I can’t leave you alone for two seconds,” she muttered under her breath. “Well everything else seems fine.” She kissed him on the forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow around two.” Jay nodded. “And Bruce, I’d like to see you around three.”  
   
Bruce looked confused. “What are you talking about?”  
   
“If you two are going to insist on continuing in this relationship, then I’m going to have to insist that you start counseling as well. Individually to start with and then together.”  
   
Bruce opened his mouth to inform her that he was not going be lectured by a fourteen-year-old kid, when she stopped him with a look. Her eyes were hard when she said, “If I have to heal one more fractured anything, Bruce Alexander Wayne, there will be hell to pay. Do you understand me? You will be at that session. If three isn’t good for you I’m flexible but I’m not going to let you destroy each other trying to fight your demons alone.”  
   
Bruce looked at Jay who was looking at him hopefully, and then back at Miriam, and nodded. “Three’s fine.”  
   
*  
   
The next morning Bruce woke slowly, he glanced sleepily down at Jay, his head resting on Bruce’s chest. He could still see some of the dried blood from last night. He sighed internally. So much for Jay not having anything against him.  
   
“I can feel you thinking,” Jay said without opening his eyes.  
   
“I’m sorry about last night. If- I didn’t realize that the costume bothered you. You need to tell me when something’s wrong Jay. I-” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “You could have really gotten hurt.” And it would have been my fault.  
   
“I didn’t realize that the costume would affect me so badly,” Jay confessed, “and then once I’d been around you in it, I didn’t know how to tell you. . . “  
   
Bruce kissed the top of his head. “Anything else that you need to tell me?”  
   
“No, but, I- I have a question.”  
   
“Alright.”  
   
“How badly does it bother you when I laugh?”  
   
Bruce’s eyes went wide. He sat up, dislodging Jay. “No! Jay, don’t you dare start changing because of me. It doesn’t bother me.”  
   
“The same way your suit doesn’t bother me?” Jay challenged sitting up.  
   
He cupped Jay’s face. “Jay one of the first things that attracted me to you was your laugh, your wonderful sense of humor. Please, please don’t let me kill that.”  
   
Jay closed his eyes and laid his head against his shoulder. “I’m afraid that I’ll say something or do something that will remind you – that it’ll really sink in and then you’ll be gone.”  
   
“I’m not going to leave you- Jay I want you take the amulet off.”  
   
“What? No!”  
   
“Jay, I need you to understand that I don’t care.”  
   
“Bruce, no, please no. You think you’re ok with it, but it’ll be like the suit and then every time you look at me you’ll see. . .” He looked frantic. “No Bruce, please.”  
   
Bruce looked alarmed. “Is that what you see? When you look at me? The suit?”  
   
“It was, for the first couple of days afterward,” He said quietly, not looking at him. “But- but the suit comes off, you don’t want to see, Bruce. Really, you don’t.”  
   
Bruce sighed and pulled him closer. “I want to start working with Miriam on a daily basis.”  
   
Jay looked up surprised. “I thought that you didn’t like the idea of therapy.”  
   
“I want this to work. And…and I think we’re going to need some help.”

Becoming:  
Chapter Two  
   
Conner was finally roused, mid-morning, by the smell of waffles. “All right waffles!” he sprung off the couch and then paused at the sight of Jay, back in the pajamas from the night before hair mussed, coffee cup in hand. Bruce was sitting next to him reading the paper.  
   
Jay yawned. “How in the hell do you wake up with that much energy?” He shook his head. “Come eat kiddo, we’ve got to get shopping.”  
   
Bruce raised an eyebrow. “Shopping? You realize that it’s Wednesday.”  
   
“Yes, I’m skipping work today. Shhh, don’t tell my boss.”  
   
Bruce grinned. “Jay, you have more overtime than everyone in the building put together. By my estimation you could not come to work for three weeks and still not have missed a day.”  
   
“Really? Neat.”  
   
*  
   
They were walking down the main thoroughfare. Conner was enjoying being out and about. He felt like he’d missed so much. He was gawking like a tourist, but everything felt so new! The smells the, sounds, it was wonderful. He glanced at Jay who was reading a window advertisement. He had managed not to spring a hundred question on him once they were out the door but his patience was growing thinner but the minute.   
   
Jay, who didn’t take his eyes from the sign he was reading, said, “Yes?”  
   
“How long have you been dating him?!”  
   
 “About three and a half months.”  
   
“And he knows, and you know. That’s- that’s crazy!”  
   
“Well, it didn’t start out that way,” Jay explained as they made their way into the furniture store on the other side of the street. “He was just Bruce Wayne and I was just Jay O’Connell. We fell in love, the secrets came out afterward.” He sighed. “Trust me. I wish he weren’t. I’m not crazy about it, it’s going to make things a thousand times more difficult, and it was going to be rough to start with, but I love him. You don’t get to choose who you love.”  
   
Conner digested that. Finally he said, “I never realized that Batman was gay.”  
   
“Conner, I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone. Bruce only just realized that he was, in fact, gay. He hasn’t even told the other Bat boys and girls yet, well Robin – Tim Drake!” Jay suddenly shouted. “That’s who – oh drat. You didn’t hear me say that.”  
   
“It’s cool, man. Tim’s been wondering when you’d figure it out.”  
   
“Has he?” Jay chuckled. “I love that kid. How he ended up with Bats – there, there you see? I can’t even conceive of them being the same person.” He groaned. “I feel like I’ve got a split personality going on, and he’s the one in the damned costume!” They were in the store at this point, he turned to Conner. “Here take my mind off of it. Go spend an obscene amount of money.”  
   
Conner laughed. “Beds aren’t that expensive, Jay.”  
   
“Buy everything, a whole new set of furniture. Deck the room out like you’ve always dreamed. Carte blanche.”  
   
“Jay, where are you going to put it?”  
   
“In the spare bed room, of course”  
   
Conner looked surprised. “I didn’t realize that you had one.”  
   
“That’s because I keep it locked, it’s where I have all my old Joker stuff.”  
   
“You’re kidding!”  
   
“Nope, I went round and collected all of it that I could find and stashed it in that room. I’ll move it to a closet and padlock it or something. The closet in my room in absurd anyway. Who needs that much space?”  
   
“Why did you keep it?”  
   
Jay hesitated and then shrugged. “Honestly? Because I was the Joker longer than I’ve been anything else. And it wasn’t all bad – for me anyway. ”  
   
Conner nodded, he glanced around the store. "Jay, seriously though, I don't think I need to buy a whole set of furniture."  
   
Jay, who was staring moodily off into space, turned and looked at him. "What?" He shrugged. "S'up to you kiddo."  
   
Conner punched him lightly in the arm. "It'll get better Jay. You'll see."  
   
He gave Conner a grin. "I thought I was supposed to be consoling you."  
   
"It works both ways. Wow, check that out!" Conner had run over to a multimedia set up that was showcased in a lavish wood home entertainment center. "Now that's what you need."  
   
"What, a television that's bigger than I am?"  
   
"Hell yes!"  
   
Jay chuckled. "I don't think it's actually for sale. I think they're just using it to show of the entertainment center."  
   
"Well, we gotta get something to put it in."  
   
"We do, do we?"  
   
"Yeah, and, dude, check this out it even has places for the speakers and you could run them around the room – sweet!"  
   
Jay laughed, "Ok, we'll get it. But you still have to get a bed."  
   
Conner turned to him eyes wide. "Wha- seriously? I was joking!"  
   
Jay shrugged. "I meant what I said, room of your dreams. And apparently," he added, eyes twinkling, "the room of your dreams has spilled out into my living room."  
   
It took a while but Jay finally managed to get Conner away from the television and convince him to buy a bed and a chest of drawers. Conner then persuaded him to go to the electronic warehouse where Conner promptly bought half the store. When they had finally finished Jay shook his head.  
   
"We're gonna have to make two trips. This won't all fit in my car."  
   
Conner grinned at him. "Jay, you're the best, man."  
   
Jay barked a laugh. "You only love me for my money, child. Now get in."  
   
One the way home Conner asked, "So did, um, Superman track you down?"  
   
Jay raised an eyebrow. "No. Was he supposed to?"  
   
"He wanted to thank you," Conner explained, looking uncomfortable.  
   
"Well, considering that you had my address, I shouldn't think it would have been too terribly difficult for him to find me."  
   
"I, um, didn't give it to him."  
   
"Oh? And why not?"  
   
"Because…" Conner stared at the dash. "Look, Supes is a great guy and all. I mean he’s Superman for crying out loud. But sometimes he is just so hard to be around. He's perfect! Do you know what it’s like trying to live up to that?"  
   
Jay turned into his apartment complex. "No, can't say that I do, but I do have some experience with Supey, so I can imagine."  
   
Conner nodded morosely. "And the worse part? I can't tell him that. I can't tell anyone that!"  
   
"You just told me."  
   
"You're, well you're different."  
   
The corners of Jay's mouth were twitching. "Why? Because I used to be a supervillain?"  
   
"Well, yeah."  
   
Jay started laughing. "Oh, wow."  
   
Conner started chuckling. "I know it sounds weird."  
   
"No." Jay waved at him. "I get it, I just-" He shook his head. "It’s fine. Oh god, I'm gonna get us killed." He straightened the car but he was still chuckling when he parked. "All right super kid, you get to do all the heavy lifting, I break anything else and M's gonna have my head."  
   
A shadow crossed Conner's face. "Jay, about that. What did happen?"  
   
"Oh, kiddo no, he didn't hit me. I was having a nightmare, Bruce woke me up at the wrong time and I smacked my head on the damned wall trying to run away."  
   
"But you were trying to run away from him?"  
   
"Yes and no. I was running away from Batman." He sighed. "I told you, it's still really hard for me to reconcile them in my mind as being the same person. I'll get used to it."  
   
They spent the rest of the day packing up what Conner had dubbed the Jay Cave. All of his Joker memorabilia was moved from the room to the back of Jay's closet. At one point Conner held up one of the suits that Jay used to wear and asked, "Jay, man, who the hell made your clothes?"  
   
Jay looked up from a box labeled Dangerous Chemicals. "Who made my- oh the suits you mean." He squinted for a moment as he tried to remember. "You know, I don't remember where I got the first one from. After that it was a gimmick," he shrugged, "so I stuck with it. You could always find a tailor willing to work at gun point." He chuckled evilly and Conner shivered.  
   
"You know I'm glad you're a good guy now."  
   
"You and the rest of Gotham. Didja hear? They're so happy that M's fixing all the loonies that they're going to have a city-wide holiday in her honor."  
   
"Wow, really?"  
   
"Yeah, she's furious. She doesn't want to attend. There'll be way too many cameras."  
   
Conner looked confused. "Huh?"  
   
Jay tapped his amulet, which had slipped out from under his shirt while they were moving. "They don't work on cameras. So you can believe me when I say you'll not see my sorry bleached ass anywhere near there."  
   
"What's M going to do?"  
   
"She's not sure yet. If she knows that they're pointing the camera at her she can break the damned thing but. . . it’s gonna suck, no matter what. She may just have to hire a stand-in or something. Happily Bruce can help now, he's the only one at Arkham that knows the truth."  
   
 "Jay?"  
   
Jay's head jerked up. "Fuck, what's he doing here? It's the middle of the damned day." Jay looked around the room frantically. "I'm gonna go distract him, if you can get the rest of this cleaned up without him seeing it, you will be my new favorite person in the world."  
   
Conner's eyes went wide at the frantic note in Jay's voice. "He doesn't know that you kept all this does he?"  
   
"Nope," he replied grimly, "and I'd like to keep it that way."  
   
"Jay?"  
   
"Hang on, Bruce, I'm coming." He hurried out motioning for Conner to be quick. "What are you doing here?" he asked as he entered the living room to find Bruce looking over the wasteland of empty boxes and spilled packing peanuts.  
   
"What happened here?"  
   
"Oh, Conner says that I'm not technologically savvy enough, he is apparently trying to save me from the land of ignorance."  
   
"You missed your session with Miriam."  
   
Jay groaned. "Oh shit! I completely forgot." He started hunting for his cell phone. "Where the hell is my cell phone?"  
   
Bruce chuckled and handed it to him. "I picked it up this morning by accident. She tried to call and got me, I said that I'd drop it by after my session."  
   
Jay looked at him nervously. "And, how did that go?"  
   
"Well, actually, it wasn't really what I'd been expecting."  
   
"Oh?"  
   
"I'd expected her to try and get into what happened to my parents. We never talked about it. I'm sure she's just saving it until I trust her more, but she's a very smart kid. She reminds me a great deal of Robin."  
   
"Probably why they get along so well."  
   
Bruce nodded, and then indicated the normally locked door with a jerk of his head. "Is he moving in?"  
   
"For as long as he wants yeah." Jay's cell phone rang; he looked down at the number on the display and frowned. "Hello?"  
   
"Jay? It's Rob, I'm looking for Conner."  
   
"Oh, hey Rob, yeah he's here, everything ok?"  
   
Rob made a frustrated noise into the phone. "More or less."  
   
"Conner, Rob's on the phone for you."  
   
Conner emerged from his bedroom. "Cool, give me just a sec.” There was a sudden breeze as Conner zipped back and forth from one room to the next and then he appeared next to Jay, whose mouth was hanging open slightly, and took the phone.  
   
"Rob, hey man." He walked over to the other side of the room and flopped down on the couch.  
   
"Damn." Jay shook his head. "So, you going to stick around?"  
   
"I thought I might, if you don't mind?"  
   
"Never."  
   
* * *  
   
Conner and Tim were sitting on the roof of Jay's building. Jay and Bruce had decided to go out to dinner and Conner and Tim had volunteered to stay home and hook up the new entertainment unit. Jay had rolled his eyes and told them not to burn the place down.  
   
"So," Tim asked taking a swig of water, "what's wrong?"  
   
Conner scrubbed a hand through his hair; he really needed to get that cut. "Nothing. It's just, people have been weird you know. I knew they would be but that doesn't make it any less annoying."  
   
Tim raised an eyebrow. "I think there's a little more to it than that."  
   
Conner sighed and took a swig of the beer that he'd found in Jay's fridge. "I heard what they said to you after I left. They don't think I'm me. How many others are gonna say that? Think that? And the only way to prove it, to prove that I am me, is to drag M and Jay into it. I don't wanna do that. They're trying to stay on the DL and here I am dragging ’em into the spotlight."  
   
"They knew what they were getting into when they signed on, Conner."  
   
"Did they? I don't really think they did. I think they just thought they'd bring me back and then slink back into the shadows, but this, this is a big deal and people are gonna want to talk to them. They're not gonna take, ‘they don't want to talk to you’ for an answer either. I tried that with Supes and he didn't buy it."  
   
Tim sighed. "I know, but it'll blow over. There'll be another crisis and people's attention will shift to something else and it'll be just another thing that those weird S shields managed to do."  
   
"Thanks," Conner replied sarcastically  
   
"Hey that's what I'm here for. It'll be fine, you'll see."  
   
"You sound like Jay."  
   
"Speaking of which, are you moving in here?"  
   
Conner was quiet for a moment. "I didn't ask to. I just wanted to crash here for the night, ya know. And then Jay was like, let’s go get you a bed and furniture and stuff. I thought that he was just trying to be nice, but he- I think he's lonely."  
   
Tim nodded. "Miriam thinks he is as well. She's really pleased that you might be staying with him for a while. Speaking of Miriam, she said something about having to come over here last night? What was that all about?"  
   
"Dude it was totally fucked up! And I know that Batman is Bruce Wayne by the way."  
   
"Oh?"  
   
"Yeah, so I showed up last night and I asked if I could stay and Jay was like sure but my boyfriend will be here later. I was all cool with that, because, dude, who cares right? And then I went to sleep and suddenly I hear Jay scream and I go running in and there's Bats trying to tackle him, or that's what it looked like to me. So I slammed into him and then Jay was yelling at us both to knock it off. It sucked. But I swear it looked like he'd hit him. I was so mad. I can't believe they're trying to make this work. Jay is terrified of him."  
   
Tim's head jerked around. "Why do you say that?"  
   
"My new room? Jay kept all his old Joker stuff in there, some of that shit is scary man, anyway, we're cleaning it out and Bruce comes in the apartment and Jay starts panicking, he's like don't let him see any of it and runs out to head him off." He shook his head. "Like I said, fucked up."  
   
Tim sighed. "Bruce was so happy. I'd never seen him that happy, but now, now he's depressed and angry by turns. I don't know what to do."  
   
"Miriam's making them start therapy."  
   
"She's what?!"  
   
"Yeah Bruce had his first session today. They're gonna start independently and then together. She said it last night after she fixed Jay. She can be wicked scary. I think she even scared Bruce."  
   
"I doubt she scared him, but she may have impressed upon him how very serious this is. I hope she did. Bruce always tries to fix things on his own. He can't fix this; he's too close to it."  
   
"Do you think it'll work?"  
   
"I have no idea."  
   
* * *  
   
“Dude what have they been feeding him?” Conner groaned as he caught a slab of asphalt out of the air. They were escorting yet another super-powered prisoner to The Rock. His name was Callaso, and he was enormous. Callaso pulled up another section of road and tossed it at Superboy.  
   
“Conner are you ok?” Cassie asked as she yanked up on her lasso, which she had managed to get around the upper portion of Callaso.  
   
“Yeah, I’m fine Cass. Shit, somebody do something.”  
   
Callaso wobbled slightly and then slumped over. “Yeah, something like that.” Conner said, blinking in surprise. “How the hell—?” Conner landed next to the sleeping form, and Robin stepped up beside him.  
   
Conner was about to ask if he’d done that when he heard Kid Devil say, “Hot damn!”  
   
Conner and Robin turned to find Miriam standing a ways off with a somewhat bemused expression on her face. Once she realized they’d noticed her she walked over, “What is that?”  
   
“His name is Callaso, we’re escorting him to Alcatraz.”  
   
“Well, we were trying,” Cyborg noted dryly. “Name’s Cyborg.” He said extending a hand towards the newcomer, trying valiantly not to stare and silently thanking the Gods that be that Beast Boy wasn’t here. “And who might you be?”  
   
“Oh, sorry,” Robin said moving aside as the group gathered around. “Miriam, these are the Teen Titians. Guys, this is Miriam.”  
   
She smiled. “Hello all.”  
   
“So did you do that?” Conner asked pointing at Callaso.  
   
Miriam’s face split into a grin. “Yes Conner. No, you didn’t come back with any new powers. Sorry.” She glanced at Robin. “You looked like you could use a little help.”  
   
He nodded. “Thanks, we did.”  
   
Cyborg watched as Kid Devil came bounding up to Miriam. “Hi! My name’s kid Devil!”  
   
Miriam smiled, and reached out to take Kid Devil’s hand in greeting when Robin leaned over to her and said warningly, “Don’t even think about it.”  
   
Miriam laughed. “I didn’t even say anything.”  
   
“You didn’t have to, I know that smile. Absolutely not.” Robin turned so that he was facing away from Kid Devil and Cyborg saw him mouth ‘he’s too young for you’  
   
“Absolutely not what?” asked Kid Devil  
   
Cyborg raised an eyebrow at the easy camaraderie between the two and the perplexed look on Kid Devil’s face. Cyborg had been a team leader long enough to recognize threats to a group’s dynamic and this was a classic example; both Cassie and Rose had hung back, glancing with guarded jealously at where the boys had gathered to posture around Miriam. He sighed as he glanced back at the slumbering form of Callaso. The team hand so many problems already, one more probably couldn’t hurt. And if she could do that to Callaso just by looking at him, he was definitely going to try and get her to join the team. He looked back towards Robin and Miriam.  
   
She stuck her tongue out at Robin. “Fine. Spoilsport.”  
   
“Let’s get back to the tower,” Cyborg interjected. “We’ll give you a tour.”  
   
She turned and beamed at him and Cyborg felt his stomach flip-flop and wondered at himself. They began heading back towards the tower, the boys grouped around Miriam and Cassie and Rose bringing of the rear but trying to stay away from each other as well. Cyborg sighed again.   
   
“Seriously, not what?”  
   
*  
   
“I’m flattered, really, but I’m just not crime-fighting material. Thanks all the same though.”  
   
“I understand,” Cyborg continued doggedly, “but I wish you’d reconsider. We could really use you on the team.” He studiously did not look at either Cassie or Rose. “You could do a lot of good for the world.”  
   
“Working at Arkham is more than enough, trust me.”  
   
“You work where?” Cyborg asked taken aback.  
   
“Arkham.”  
   
“Wow really?” Kid Devil interjected. “That’s so cool! What do you do?”   
   
She grinned. “Odd jobs. I’m all over the place.”  
   
Conner put an arm around Miriam’s shoulders. “She’s the best. Nobody better with a mop than M.”  
   
She grinned up at him. “Keep it up kiddo, I know where you sleep.”  
   
“She loves me.” Conner winked at the group.   
   
Cassie interposed herself between Miriam and Conner. “Well it’s really cool that you came by. Thank for bring him back to me.”  
   
Miriam raised her eyebrows at the obvious show of hostility. “Um, I brought him back for Rob, actually, and, you know, him. But I’m happy that it’s worked out so well.”  
   
“Just ignore her, she’s just worried that you’re going to steal her man because you look like you actually know how to be around people with out acting like a bitch,” Rose offered from the couch.  
   
“Why you-"  
   
“Ladies,” Cyborg interjected, and throttled the impulse yet again to bang their heads together. “That’s enough.” He turned back towards Miriam who was seated next to Robin. “Miriam, I want to thank you as well. What you did was truly amazing.”  
   
Miriam was looking from Rose to Cassie, she glanced at Conner who was looking uncomfortable, and then replied distractedly, “What? Oh, hey no problem. I’m not really in any hurry to do it again, mind you, so if you two,” she looked from Robin to Conner, “could stay in one piece I’d appreciate it.”  
   
Robin smiled at her. “Consider it done.”  
   
“Good.” She smiled at Cyborg and Kid Devil. “Well it’s been wonderful meeting all of you. But I’ve got to be getting back, if I could perhaps bum a ride back home, Rob?”  
   
“I’ll go too.” Conner added moving quickly to join them as they headed out the door.  
   
   
* * *  
   
“Ok, what the hell was all that about?” Miriam asked once they were in the Bat-plane. Conner was flying alongside it but was hooked up via microphone so that he could talk with them.”  
   
Robin sighed. “They can’t stand each other.”  
   
“Yeah, I got that part. Why?”  
   
“Rose doesn’t like most people. And Cassie has been. . .different since. . .”  
   
“I died,” Conner finished for him. “I’ve noticed. It is just me? Was she always this possessive before and I just didn’t notice?”  
   
Robin shook his head. “No, she’s changed a lot. She’s angry all the time. She- I miss the way things were to be honest. She’s nothing like she used to be.”  
   
Conner let out a breath. “Thank God, I thought it was just me. I mean I remember liking her- hell loving her before I died. But now, I can hardly stand to be in the same room for two minutes.”  
   
“I noticed that,” Miriam replied dryly. “She’s not half jealous, though is she? Damn. She can tell, Conner, that you’re pulling away. That’s why she’s attacking like that. And the anger. . .” Miriam sighed. “She's channeling power from a source, and I think the source is what’s causing the anger.”  
   
“What do you mean?”  
   
“I can’t really explain it. When I look at her, her frequency is all fucked up. I’ve seen it before, on shamans, when they’re channeling the Gods. But hers is,” Miriam shook her head, “angry. That’s the only way that I can put it.”  
   
“Her frequency is angry?” Robin asked skeptically, turning around slightly so that he could look at her.  
   
“Don’t look at me like that, I know it sounds weird. But that’s the only way I can put it.”  
   
“Um, what they hell are you guys talking about?”  
   
“Oh, sorry. When I look at people I see, some people have called it an aura, it’s kinda like that. But more pervasive. It’s not just color, it’s thoughts and- it’s kinda like a fingerprint left by your mind. I see it on everybody. It’s how I identify people.” She grinned at the back of Robin’s head when he snorted. “Which has gotten me into trouble on a few occasions, but anyway, that’s what we were talking about.”  
   
“Oh, ok. Cool.” He was quiet for a moment. “Guys, I think I want to break up with Cass. Is that like, an overreaction?”  
   
“Well I’d break up with her if I was dating her,” Miriam said conversationally, “but it’s not me. Are you asking if we think that you’re overreacting because you’ve just come back from the dead? Or that you’re overreacting because she was just wiggy that one time?”  
   
“Um, both.”  
   
Miriam thought about it. “Well, look at it this way. You had a traumatic experience of epic proportion. They do tend to bring clarity of purpose, so I say, give it a couple of days, make sure that it wasn’t just a reaction to her extremely catty behavior, and then go with your gut.”  
   
“What do you think, Tim?”  
   
Robin was quiet for a moment and then said, “I think I’m too close to the situation to be objective.”  
   
“Aw, come on, just give me your opinion.”  
   
“No, because I can’t be sure that what I’m telling you isn’t personally motivated.”  
   
Conner’s confusion could be heard over the radio. “Because you, what? Want to date Cass yourself?”  
   
“God no!”  
   
“Ok, then. . . what?”  
   
“Hey guys, this radar thing is blinking like mad, should it be doing that?” Miriam asked.  
   
Robin glanced down at the screen. “Shit, where did they come from? Hold on M. Conner?”  
   
“I got it, I got it.” Conner dropped in front of them attempting to scare away the huge flock of birds that had suddenly appeared in their flight path. Robin maneuvered around them easily, and angled further south.  
   
When he had gotten through, he cut the radio connection to Conner and said, “Thanks.”  
   
Miriam shrugged as she let go of the bird’s minds. “Hey what are friends with shiny mind powers for.”  
   
* * *  
   
“Miriam Alexander.”  
   
“Hi Miriam, its Bruce.”  
   
“Well hello Bruce,” she replied sounding surprised, “what can I do for you?”  
   
“Jay and I want to start having daily sessions with you, if that’s possible.”  
   
Miriam dropped the phone. She scrambled to pick it back up. “Bruce?”  
   
“I’m still here. Did you drop the phone?”  
   
“No, no the connection just got really bad.”  
   
“Liar.”  
   
“Yes well, ok, it wasn’t quite what I’d been expecting. Yes, sure, daily is fine. I know that you aren’t going to want to troop all the way out to Arkham on a daily basis, so how about, um hold on.” She put him on hold for a moment and called through to Allen. “Allen?”  
   
“Yes?”  
   
“You know that off-site counseling center that we were planning to set up on Broad?”  
   
“Yes.”  
   
“I need it operational by tomorrow.”  
   
“Um, I’m not sure-"  
   
“Do it. Whatever it takes, whatever it costs just do it.”  
   
She hung up and went back to Bruce. “Sorry about that, we’ve got an off-site counseling center that we’ve set up on Broad. You know the anonymous one so that the inmates can receive counseling without having to come back to Arkham and whatnot. I’ll clear out a block of time lets say around 9:00am? You two can come by on your way to work, we’ll have a session and then you can go on your way.”  
   
“That sounds perfect. But I didn’t think that the counseling center was ready yet?”  
   
“You know me. I like a challenge.”  
   
*  
   
The waiting room was Spartan, and that was being generous. There were only two chairs. No tables, no well thumbed magazines. No slowly dwindling potted plants. It still smelled of a fresh coat of paint and new carpets. The receptionist, however, was nothing but professional. She didn’t ask for their information, merely handed them each an enveloped with a key card inside each.  
   
“Now,” she explained, “you’ll swipe your card here. It will register all of your information directly into the sealed system. Then you can have a seat. Miriam should be ready for you in a moment.”  
   
A few minutes later the receptionist directed them back down a hall way and to the left. The door was slightly ajar and Miriam was sitting in a chair going over a note pad. She glanced up and beckoned for both of them to come in. “Hi guys, sorry the place is still a little on the unfinished side.”  
   
“Miriam this place wasn’t due to open for another month.” Bruce said as he took a seat in one of the very nice leather chairs. Jay took a seat next to him, clearly pleased with the seating arrangements.   
   
“Aw, my suggestion!”  
   
She grinned. “Yup. Ah the power of the little suggestion card.”  
   
“Did you know it was mine, this time?”  
   
“The little smiley face in the corner did tip me off just a bit.”  
   
Jay turned to Bruce and explained. “Miriam had this stupid little suggestion box in her office, nobody ever used it, it was left over from the last guy. So I started putting in requests for the craziest things. But the kicker was some times she’d give me what I asked for, like one time what was it, M?”  
   
“Green jelly beans.”  
   
“Yeah that’s it; I’d requested green Jelly beans in my cell. And then one day I showed up and my cell was filled with hundreds of bags of nothing but green jelly beans.” He grinned fondly. “I ate like a king that week ‘cause I kept trading them out for other people’s food.”  
   
“I’ve got a box here as well; I’ve called it Jay’s box in honor of you.” She grinned. “So what do you think of the set up?”  
   
Bruce nodded. “I’m very impressed, but then I’d expect nothing less from a hacker of your caliber.”  
   
Miriam’s eyebrows shot up, she looked at Jay. “Forgot to tell me something.”  
   
Jay’s eyes were the size of dinner plates, “Oh fuck. I’d forgotten all about it, he found the keycard, the one that you made and I kinda told him that you’d made it. I’m so sorry.”  
   
She was grinning. “Don’t worry about it. He is the world’s greatest detective. He was bound to figure it out sooner or later.”  
   
“Thanks,” Bruce replied dryly.  
   
“No problem. Now, on with the show. Ground rules. These session are going to hurt. We are going to push boundaries because, unlike in Arkham, here we’re not in a controlled environment. When I send you back out that door you’re going to carry on with the relationship. Which means that there is the potential for one or both of you to wander into a minefield, I’m here to try and detect and defuse the mines before then but I will need your help. So rule number one. Jay, you’ll be familiar with this. No lying. I can tell when you lie, and I will call you on it each and every time. If you don’t want to share something, if you’re not ready, fine. You say so, but there will be no lying in this room. Understood?” She waited for them both to nod. “Good. Next do not hold back. If you’re scared, you say so. If you’re angry you say so. If you’re uncomfortable you say so. You have to keep the lines of communication open, because while I am psychic, you two are not. Finally, my promise to you. I will not read your minds without explicit permission from you, and you are always fully entitled to tell me to go to hell and I will respect that. But do know that if you project anything I will pick it up, not that you really have anything to worry about on that front Bruce. Ok any questions?” Bruce and Jay exchanged looks and then shook their heads. “Good. Let’s start with the basics.” She turned to Jay. “Jay, do you still consider yourself the Joker?”  
   
Jay’s eyes went wide. “I, um. Damn, you are not pulling punches are you? Ok, no and,” he closed his eyes, “and yes.”  
   
She nodded as Bruce tensed. “Explain”  
   
“I’ve been the Joker for twenty five years. I’ve- I’ve been the Joker longer than I’ve been anything else. I’m- it’s who I am.” He was vehemently avoiding looking anywhere near Bruce. “When we started doing this, M, I said that I liked me. I- I still do.” He was starting to warm to the subject, gaining steam, remembering what he’d said at the start of all this. “I liked who I was. I didn’t want to be a danger to anyone anymore, grant you at the time, that was because I wanted my freedom and to have my memory back. And after I got my memory back, I wanted a second chance. A chance to have a life that I never really got. I don’t consider myself actively 'the Joker.' But I’m not Jack either; I’m Jay, who is pretty much the Joker with all the deadly bits gone.” He nodded satisfied with his answer, then glanced hesitantly at Bruce who was looking thoughtful.  
   
“Bruce,” Miriam said. “Response?”  
   
“I’m ok with that,” he replied slowly. “I understand the reasoning behind it. I didn’t like it when you said, initially, that you still considered yourself the Joker, but I guess I never really stopped to think about what the hell else you could consider yourself.”  
   
“Bruce, do you see yourself at Batman or Bruce Wayne?”  
   
“Bruce Wayne is Batman. Batman is Bruce Wayne. When I put on the suit, I’m still Bruce; when I take it off, I’m still Batman. The only show that I put on is when I go into public and I act as ‘Bruce Wayne billionaire.’ That’s the only mask that I ever really put on. The rest is all me. I really am this cynical, this suspicious, and this obsessed. But I am also capable of emotion: humor, love, anger, joy. I can experience these things at any time, whether I’m wearing the cape or not.”  
   
“So when you were upset that Jay said that when he looked at you he saw the suit, you shouldn’t have been because he should see the suit. You’re the same person. Jay, you disagree?”  
   
Jay was shaking his head vigorously. “You’re not the same person. Bruce Wayne is funny and friendly and light hearted: Batman has no since of humor. He’s dark and unfeeling.”  
   
“I can appreciate how you would see it that way, but when I’m working I show different aspects of my personality than when I’m on a date. Everyone does. You saw a side of me that is less pleasant, just as I did of you. You said that you still consider yourself the Joker. Do you think, back to the wall, if someone was attacking you that you could act like you did then?”  
   
“Without the interesting octave changes?” Jay grinned lopsidedly at him and Bruce smiled back. “Yeah. I could, and would, if someone threatened me, or you, because yeah you’ve got the gist of it. I still think of myself as the Joker. I’m just the Joker with impulse control and a conscious that feels like fucking hell for all the shit I did. I meant that, I’m sorry for what I did.” His face darkened. “Except for my uncle. I’m not sorry about that.”  
   
Bruce waved it away. “I think he got nothing more than what should have been meted out to him twelve years prior. And had there been anyone around that wasn’t completely corrupted you wouldn’t have had to do it in the first place. You wouldn’t have even been put in the position to do it.”  
   
Miriam was grinning from ear to ear. “Alright, this is fantastic. Moving on, Jay you said that seeing Bruce in the suit upset you, do you think it would now, knowing what you know?”  
   
“I don’t know. I won’t know until I see him in it again, I guess.”  
   
“Well let’s start with an easier test. Bruce you have a specific voice that you associate with your Batman persona, I would like you to use that voce for the remainder of the session. The reason for this is so that you, Jay, can come to associate the voice not with violence but with the man that you love.”  
   
 Jay shivered slightly when Bruce dropped into the other voice, causing Bruce to frown and Miriam to ask, "Why does it bother you?"  
   
Jay shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I dunno. I guess I just associate that voice with," He struggled for the words. "'That pain is imminent.'"  
   
Miriam nodded. She turned to Bruce. "Is it?"  
   
"No!" Bruce replied, slipping back into Bruce Wayne Voice and looking upset. "I would never hurt you." he continued, turning to Jay. "You have my word."  
   
"Voice Bruce. Jay needs to hear that from Batman, not Bruce."  
   
He looked frustrated. "I told you I'm the same person."  
   
"Yes, but Jay has difficulty reconciling that in his own mind, so we have to sync up the actions of both Bruce and Batman. Once they can be seen to act the same then Jay can more easily blend the two together."  
   
Bruce nodded morosely and repeated himself using the other voice. Jay listened trying to make the two men merge in his brain. He just shook his head, the voice was still tying his stomach up in knots and he said as much. Bruce looked upset and Miriam nodded. "It will continue to do so for a while. Bruce from hereon out I'm going to want you to use that voice in these sessions." Bruce agreed reluctantly, not looking happy about it. "Now, Bruce you mentioned that Jay's laugh reminds you of the Joker. Do you find that unsettling?"  
   
Bruce closed his eyes and sighed. "When dealing with the Joker, his laugh was always an indication of what type of mood he was in and thus what I could expect from him-"  
   
"Your disassociating Bruce, don't tell me, the Joker is sitting next to you, tell him. Talk to him."  
   
Bruce turned and continued, Jay found it incredibly hard to meet his eyes. It had been much easier to talk to Miriam. "Jay, eyes up." Miriam said quietly. Jay nodded and looked up; he could see the pain in Bruce's eyes, a reflection of his own.  
   
Bruce began again. "Your laugh would tell me what I was dealing with. Whether I should expect bullets or pies. So when I hear the laugh it puts me on the defensive. I start trying to analyze it, to figure out what I should be getting ready for. When I hear it, I stop seeing you and I remember who you were. But," he continued hurriedly, "I don't want you to stop laughing. I love your sense of humor, which is such a big part of you, and if Jay is just the Joker with his deadly overtones removed then I love the Joker's sense of humor." Jay's eyes went wide his mouth falling open slightly, but Bruce pressed on. "I meant what I said about not wanting you to stop laughing. It would kill me if I did that to you. I want to come to associate the laugh with you, Jay, just like I want you to come to associate this voice with me, Bruce."  
   
"Beautifully said Bruce. Jay?"  
   
He rubbed a hand over his face. "I don't think I could honestly stop laughing if I tried. But, I- thank you."  
   
Bruce gave him a small smile and looked back at Miriam who glanced down at her watch. "Ok you two, that's enough for one day."  
   
They both stood up hurriedly and Miriam laughed. "I'll see you both back here tomorrow." They nodded and left. Once they were back at their cars they seemed to reach for each other at the same time.  
   
The embrace lasted a very long time, finally when they came up for air Jay gave him a tiny grin. "Well, that was easier than I though it would be."  
   
Bruce nodded and kissed him again, "I agree."

Becoming:  
Chapter Three  
   
"Are you going to tell him?"  
   
Tim looked up from his homework. "He's overwhelmed enough as it is, M."  
   
She narrowed her eyes at him. "So you're not going to tell him."  
   
"I don't see anything good coming of it, no."  
   
"You know he could feel the same way."  
   
Tim snorted. "Somehow I doubt that. How did the session with Bruce and Jay go?"  
   
"You know perfectly well that I can't tell you that, stop trying to change the subject-" Miriam was interrupted as her phone rang. Heads all around the library came up and gave her dirty looks. "Hello?" she whispered .  
   
"Miriam? Why are you whispering?"  
   
"Oh, hi Uncle Sean. I'm at the library."  
   
"Oh, alright then. Lass, I'm afraid that I've got a bit of a favor to ask you."  
   
"Shoot."  
   
"I've got to go out of town for the next two weeks and I'm gonna need someone to watch Tina. I was hoping that you might be able to."  
   
Miriam frowned. "Um. . . not all the time no, but I think between Jay and I, we should be able to work something out."  
   
"Wonderful. I leave in two days."  
   
Her eyebrows shot up. "Short notice?"  
   
"Aye, we've had a bit of a problem at one of the West Coast factories." He sighed heavily. "Dinna ask."  
   
"Ok then, I won't. Let me give Jay a call and then I'll call you back."  
   
Tim raised an eyebrow. "Problem?"  
   
"My uncle needs me to watch Tina for the next two weeks," Miriam explained as she dialed Jay.  
   
"Hey M what's up?" Jay answered.  
   
"Hey, how are you doing?"  
   
"I'm ok, stop with the guilt. We're both fine."  
   
"I'm glad to hear it." She smiled. "I've got a bit of a favor to ask. My uncle's got to go out of town and he needs me to watch Tina for the next two weeks. I can't do it all the time. I was hoping that you and I could swap off?"  
   
"Hold on a sec and let me get back to my office; I need to see a calendar, but yeah, we can work something out. I've got Conner right now, so he should be able to help too. Course I should, you know, ask him before I volunteer him, shouldn't I?" She could almost see him shrug. "Oh well. Ok, when would this be?"  
   
"Two days from now"  
   
"Well. Damn."  
   
Miriam laughed.  
   
* * *  
   
"Hey Bruce."  
   
Bruce looked up from the console. “Well hello Clark. You do realize that you're about three hours early for the meeting?"  
   
Clarke nodded. "I know, I wanted a chance to talk. You know, see how things were going,"  
   
Bruce, who wasn't yet wearing the cowl, raised an eyebrow. "Everything is fine. Clark, assuming that you're actually here to talk about the re-cloning of Superboy, you do realize that at this point you don't actually have to make small talk before asking me a question, right?"  
   
Clark laughed. "I know but…" he shook his head.”So do you know something about it?"  
   
"I know the scientist who did the work. He's a good guy and can be trusted. You've already spoken with Miriam." Clark nodded and sighed, causing Bruce to smirk. "Piece of work isn't she?"  
   
"She is worthy of her surroundings."  
   
Bruce barked a laugh, causing Clark's eyes to go wide. "You're in a good mood."  
   
Bruce rolled his eyes, ignoring him. "So did you have anything else?"  
   
"I, um, can't find him."  
   
"You've lost him already? That was fast."  
   
"Very funny. I'm assuming he's here somewhere, and since nothing happens in this city without your knowing it, I was hoping you might know where he is."  
   
Bruce eyed him thoughtfully for a moment. "Have you checked with the Titans?"  
   
"Bruce," Clark responded in frustration. "Yes, I've checked with them. They said that he's been by but they don't know where he's staying. Ma and Pa don't know either, they said that he came round to collect his things and that he said that he'd be in touch. Bruce, I understand that this is weird for him, and that perhaps we didn't take it as well as we should have, but he doesn't need to hide from us!"  
   
Bruce snorted. "Save you lecture Kent, I'm not interested. He'll show up when he's ready and not before."  
   
"Bruce!"  
   
"Clark, I don't know what you want me to say."  
   
Clark ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I just, I feel so removed from the whole process. I didn't even know what was going on and then suddenly he just shows up on my doorstep! Is there anyway that I could talk to Jay? I would really appreciate it."  
   
Bruce sighed inwardly as Clark gave him what Bruce had always mentally referred to as his puppy dog eyes. "I'll call him."  
   
The smile that lit up Clark's face was dazzling. "Thanks."  
   
Bruce waved it away. "I'm not promising anything." Bruce turned back to the console. After a few moments he turned back around and sighed. "Yes?"  
   
"Are you- can't you call him now?"  
   
Bruce managed to look put upon and reserved at the same time. "Clark, he's at work right now. I'll call him when he gets off. Would you stop hovering? Go," he waved distractedly as he turned back to the computer screen, "bother Diana."  
   
*  
   
"I don't really feel like talking to his Superness," Jay answered as he poured the contests of his mixing bowl into the casserole dish. "I don't care what you tell him – tell him I’m shy." Jay slid the dish into the oven and set the timer, wiping up the counter. "Bruce what the hell am I supposed to say to the guy anyway? Hold on a second – Tina honey, could you turn that down? Thank you. What? Oh, no I’m baby-sitting. Stop laughing. It's not that funny. God you're as bad as Conner. Then again, at least you didn't start in with 'but you used to be the Joker!' I swear, next time the kid says that I'm gonna show him just how much of the Joker I still am. That was a joke by the way." He sighed. "I know you know, but I like to reaffirm. . . I’m making dinner." His face split into a grin. "Yes. you can come over.”  
   
*  
   
Bruce blinked when a small child with long, dark black hair and vivid blue eyes opened the door to Jay’s apartment. She stared at him. "Hello."  
   
"Hello, is Jay here?"  
   
"Yes."  
   
Bruce opened his mouth and shut it, the corners twitching. "May I come in and see him?"  
   
"Yes," she replied solemnly and then held the door open wider, allowing him through. She ran into the kitchen. "Uncle Jay, there's a man at the door!"  
   
Jay stood up from checking the casserole, and smiled at him. "Who now appears to be in the entryway. Hiya handsome. I see you've met Tina. Tina, this is my boyfriend Bruce Wayne, Bruce this is Tina O'Connell."  
   
Bruce nodded to her; a smile bloomed briefly on her face and then she ran off towards Conner's room, bursting through the door to the accompaniment of Conner’s shout of surprise. Jay grinned hugely after her. Bruce raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you liked kids so much."  
   
He chuckled. "Neither did I. Then again I was supposed to be a father once upon a time. I like to think I would have been a good one."   
   
Bruce kissed him. "I know you would have.”  
   
“Flatterer.”  
   
The door to Conner’s room flew open; he strode out with Tina on his heels.  
   
“I have to go talk to Cass,” he informed them abruptly. He looked longingly at the food that Jay was making.  
   
“I’ll keep some warm for you.” Jay raised an eyebrow. “What’s up?”  
   
He sighed explosively tugging on his hair. “Honestly? I think she’s gone insane.” He shook his head. “I don’t know. She’s just been weird, and I’m sick of it. I’ll be back.”  
   
He took off through the widow and was soon lost to sight.  
   
* * *  
   
“I knew that it couldn’t really be you.”  
   
Conner glared at her, his fist clenching by his sides. “ So, what? Because I want to break up with you I’m not really me? Tell me, if I’d wanted to stay with you would I have been me?”  
   
“You were perfectly happy before,” she shot back. “You said you loved me!”  
   
“Yeah, and you were different before, you were nice.”  
   
“What is that supposed to mean?” she screeched.  
   
“Exactly what it sounds like. Cass, you’ve turned into this monumental bitch. I don’t know why, I don’t know what happened, I get that people change and that’s fine, but I’m not cool with you acting like you own me. I don’t belong to you. And you were totally rude to M for no reason.”  
   
Cassie pounced. “I knew you liked her! Don’t think I didn’t see the way you two were looking at each other!”  
   
Conner groaned. “This is exactly what I’m talking about! Cassie she brought me back from the dead, man, and she’s my friend. She wasn’t looking at me- ugh she’s just a friend!”  
   
“Well that’s not what it looked like to the rest of the world. If you’re so not into her, why the hell were you hanging all over her?"  
   
“Thank you for proving my point. Cass, we’re done. I’d like to say that I hope that we can stay friends but the way that you’re acting, I’m not even sure that I want to be friends. Call me when you’ve grown up.” He took off, flying aimlessly, the anger pounding in his temples. So that was it then. Whenever he changed his mind from now on, whenever he did something unusual, or new he would just be proving to everyone that it wasn’t really him. He wondered if they’d even thought about the fact that he was only sixteen and that he intended to do a lot of changing before his life was out. Again.  
   
* * *  
   
Jay came back from putting Tina to bed to find Bruce standing in the living room, staring off into the distance.  
   
“Bruce?”  
   
He started and turned towards him. “Jay?”  
   
Jay felt his stomach tighten in apprehension. “Yeah?”  
   
Bruce grinned slightly, recognizing that Jay had picked up the uncertainty in his voice. “I. . . I would like to introduce you to my family. That is, if you’d like to meet them.”  
   
Jay blinked. That certainly wasn’t what he’d been expecting, “Um, who . . .” he trailed off in confusion.  
   
Bruce smiled. “Well, you’ve already met Tim, but I want you to meet Alfred and Dick-"  
   
“No, I’ve met him, he’s great,” Jay enthused.  
   
Bruce rolled his eyes. “My ward Dick Grayson.”  
   
“Oh, right, him. Um, ok.” He grinned. “Yeah, if you’re sure.”  
   
He nodded, “I am. Alfred knows already. Dick’s really the only one who’s in the dark at the moment.”  
   
“I’m always telling you that you should let him out to play more. Poor little Dick.” Jay snickered as Bruce rolled his eyes again. “Uh, Bruce,” he hesitated for a moment and then continued. “Just how much are you planning to tell them?”  
   
“That’s up to you Jay, if you want to tell them. . . but they all know I’m Batman and it will make things very, very difficult. Especially with Dick.”  
   
Jay looked at him thoughtfully. “He’s a Cape, isn’t he?” Bruce opened his mouth to respond and Jay held up a hand. “I know, I know you can’t tell me, but let’s be realistic here, it makes sense. I’m assuming that he was Robin number one, which means he’s now Nightwing and. . . whoa boy, you ain’t kiddin when you say that it would make things harder. He hated me more than you did.”  
   
“I never hated you.” Jay looked at him skeptically, and Bruce shrugged. “Hate is the wrong word. I hated what you did certainly, but we – myself and the others that I work with – can recognize the difference between consciously committed crimes and criminal insanity.”  
   
“That’s a nice thought, but it runs counter to what you said when we first started dating.”  
   
“Well, like I said then, it was easier when I was dealing with you from an emotional distance.”  
   
“So,” Jay said steering them back towards the topic at hand and out of that particular minefield, “I think that we ought not tell them, I think things will be difficult enough. . . do you think it’ll be a problem? I mean you being gay?”  
   
“You mean more than running around dressed up as a giant bat?” Bruce replied, and Jay laughed. “No, I don’t think so. It didn’t bother Alfred or Tim. Granted Dick is slightly more conservative than Tim, but certainly not more so than Alfred.”  
   
“Alright, so when do you want to have the grand introduction?”  
   
“Well, I was thinking about taking you this evening, but you’ve got Tina so-"  
   
Jay waved it away. “M can come watch her, it’s her turn anyway, and I’ve got to admit I’m curious to meet this Alfred person.” He headed towards the phone in the kitchen and then stopped. “Um, have I ever met him before? You know as the Joker?”  
   
Bruce considered it, “I don’t think so.”  
   
“Oh good, that’ll make things easier then. Hold on I’ll call M.”  
   
*  
   
Jay’s mouth was hanging open; it had been for the last minute and a half. It was just- the place was huge! No, it was gargantuan. He’d never been in anything so massive. He had to suppress the urge to shout to see if there would be an echo. Bruce had let them into the front door, door, ha, the name didn’t do it justice. Portcullis maybe, or- something really fucking big, and then they’d headed into the living room that had a fireplace the size of his fucking bed! Jay was an expert when it came to casing places and the contents of the entryway and the living room alone were worth more than he’d stolen in his entire life.   
   
“Master Bruce.” A man with silvery hair and a British accent came striding towards them. “I was wondering when you’d be home, and who is this, may I ask?”  
   
“Alfred, this is Jay O’Connell, my boyfriend.” He turned to Jay. “Jay, this is Alfred Pennyworth”  
   
Jay waved weakly. “Hi.”  
   
Alfred’s face lit up, “Master Jay, it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, please let me take your coat.”  
   
“Um, I’m ok, thanks.” Jay replied nervously, “It’s really nice to meet you too. Bruce talks about you all the time.”  
   
Alfred smiled warmly. “Thank you.” He turned to Bruce. “Have you eaten?”  
   
Bruce nodded. “Jay cooked dinner. I’m going to give him the tour. I’ll let you know if we need anything.”  
   
“Very good, Sir. Again, it is wonderful to finally meet you. I do hope that we shall be seeing a good deal more of you from now on.”  
   
Jay grinned, slightly more at ease with Alfred's obvious warmth. “Thanks.” Jay followed Bruce further into the house. “He’s nice.”  
   
“Yeah, Alfred is great.”  
   
As the tour continued Jay’s level of incredulousness increased exponentially. Good God, just how much money does the man have already? Bruce was watching him out of the corner of his eye; Jay suspected he was enjoying the hell out of this.  
   
“So what do you think?”  
   
“I think it’s fucking huge! What do you use it all for?”  
   
Bruce laughed. “Well most of the time, not much. I spend most of my time down in the Cave. I think Alfred dusts up here upon occasion but honestly I haven’t seen some of these rooms in ages.”  
   
“The Cave?”  
   
“Batcave. Where I keep my gear and do my real work.”  
   
“Ah.” Jay glanced at him. “Soooo do I get to see 'The Cave,'” he asked, air quoting for emphasis.  
   
Bruce gave him a sidelong look. “Are you sure it won’t bother you?”  
   
“Are you kidding?” Jay crowed. “What’s the point of dating Batman if you can’t go play with his toys?” Jay cleared his throat, and said in a more subdued voice, “Um, I mean, we’ve done great work in therapy and I’m more than capable of dealing with you in costume these days, so yes I’m sure.”  
   
Bruce rolled his eyes but he was smiling. “Alright come on.”  
   
*  
   
“Fuck me.” Jay had been expecting, well he didn’t know what he’d been expecting really, but it certainly wasn’t this. It actually was a damn cave! He’d thought that was just a code name or something. He glanced suspiciously at what he was pretty sure were a group of bats napping on the ceiling. Damn. This was just all kinds of weird. He walked over to the Batmobile and ran one hand longing along the hood.  
   
“I never knew you liked it so much,” Bruce said from behind him.  
   
“Oh God yes, you have no idea how much I envied you this car.” He sighed wistfully.  
   
“Do you want to go for a ride?” Bruce purred.  
   
Jay leaned back against him and shivered. “Yes, on both accounts.”  
   
Bruce chuckled. “Which first?”  
   
“Um, damn this is hard.”  
   
“I know.” Bruce shifted against him.  
   
Jay rolled his eyes even though Bruce couldn’t see him. Damn it, he should never have taught him innuendo.  
   
 “I meant the decision, you doofus. Um, ride in the car first.”  
   
Bruce grinned into the back of his head. “Alright, let me get suited up.” He hesitated. “You sure that it won’t-"  
   
“Bruce. I’m fine. Um, should I be wearing something too? You know mask-wise?”  
   
Bruce considered it and shook his head. “No. Well not unless you want to. We’re just going to drive around the city and back.”  
   
Jay shook his head. “Nah, I’ve never been comfortable in costume.”  
   
Bruce’s eyebrows shot up. “Since when?”  
   
Jay stuck his tongue out at him. “I wasn’t wearing a costume I was wearing a tacky suit, not the same.”  
“Riiiight.”  
   
“Oh, go away.”  
   
Bruce came back a moment later, tugging the gauntlets on. He hopped into the car and indicated that Jay should do the same. Jay looked at the car dubiously. “Um. . . I’m not really all that coordinated, doesn’t the damn thing have doors?”  
   
Bruce laughed. “No, it doesn’t have doors! You should know that by now.”  
   
Jay sniffed. “I only ever saw it in the dark, going very fast, and I was generally running in the opposite direction.” He climbed clumsily over the side of the car and landed awkwardly in the passenger seat with a grunt. “One word, Wayne and you’ll be very, very sorry,” he growled as he righted himself.  
   
Bruce watched him, the corners of his mouth twitching, but he refrained from comment. Once Jay was belted in he revved up the engine and roared out of the cave.   
   
* * *  
   
“She said what!”  
   
“That because I no longer wanted to date her it was proof positive that I couldn’t really be me.”   
   
Tim looked at him incredulously. “You’ve got to be kidding.”  
   
Conner sighed. “I wish I was, man.” He looked around Tim’s room morosely. “This sucks,” he said to no one in particular.  
   
“Conner, Jeez, I’m sorry.” Tim came over and put a hand on his arm. “You do know that you are you, right?”  
   
Conner looked at him scornfully. “Yes I know I’m me! I seem to be the only one who’s figured it out.” Tim flinched at his tone and Conner immediately looked contrite. “Hey man I’m sorry, that wasn’t cool. I know you’re just trying to help.” He tugged on his hair in frustration. “I just wish. . . why does everyone have to be all wiggy about this?”  
   
Tim sighed. “It’s just the nature of the thing. People were weird when Green Arrow came back and Superman for that matter. Like I said, it’ll get easier.”  
   
Conner nodded. “Yeah, I know. So,” he continued changing the subject, “where are Bats and Jay?”  
   
Tim grinned. “Bruce took Jay out in the Batmobile.”  
   
“Fuck! Seriously?”  
   
“Yeah, they’re doing so much better. It’s fantastic. Bruce even introduced Jay to Alfred – who thinks he’s great – and is planning to introduce him to Dick in the near future. Personally I hear wedding bells.”  
   
“Fuck won’t that be weird, the Joker and Batman married, to each other.”  
   
Tim rolled his eyes. “Conner, you need to get over this Joker thing. Jay isn’t the Joker anymore.”  
   
“Whatever,” he waved it away, and then his expression grew serious. “Tim, I want to ask you something, and I want you to answer me – truthfully.” Tim groaned internally, knowing exactly where this was going. He racked his brain trying to think of some way to forestall the train wreck of a conversation that was about to happen but came up empty. “The other day when we were talking about my breaking up with Cass, you said that you couldn’t say one way or the other. . . and I wanna know why.”  
   
“I told you, I’m too involved. I- like I said then, Cass has been different, angry. I’m- I miss the way that things were.”  
   
Conner narrowed his eyes at him. “So you didn’t want to say anything because you don’t like Cass anymore?”  
   
“I don’t dislike her. I just have difficulty being around her at times. And I spend a lot of time around you and if you were dating her. . .”  
   
Conner nodded in understanding. “Yeah that would make things difficult.” For a brief and shining moment Tim thought that he had averted the disaster. “So,” Conner asked, casually, “is that the only reason?”  
   
Shit, shit, shit! He’d been so close. He sighed. “No.”  
   
“Yeah, didn’t think so. Come on Tim, what’s up? You can tell me.”  
   
“I. . .” he hesitated and then shrugged helplessly. “I think I have feelings for you.”  
   
Conner didn’t look disgusted which gave Tim hope. He seemed to digest that for a moment and then asked, “I’m assuming that you mean romantically?”  
   
Tim cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Ah, yes. I didn’t- I’m still coming to terms with them myself to be quite honest.” He grinned ruefully. “Miriam was the one who brought them to my attention. Apparently it helped to bring you back.”  
   
Conner looked like a light bulb had just gone off in his brain. “That’s what she meant!”  
   
“Pardon?” Tim asked looking confused  
   
“M, she said something, when I’d just gotten back, that she was able to track me down because of your connection to me. She said that she wasn’t sure it would have worked without it. Mind you she was only semi-lucid at the time because I was stuck floating around in her brain and she hadn’t moved in almost three weeks.” He shrugged. “When I asked her later she said that she didn’t know what I was talking about. She’s a fantastic liar.”  
   
Tim nodded. “Well she has to be, doesn’t she, what with her running Arkham and everything.” Tim eyed Conner nervously, he didn’t seem upset. “So,” he ventured, “can we- we can still be friends, right?”   
   
Conner’s eyes went wide. “You thought- you thought that I wouldn’t want to be friends with you if I found out?”  
   
Tim dropped his eyes to the floor. “I wasn’t sure.” He looked like he wanted to say more but stopped himself.  
   
Conner took a step closer and put a finger under Tim’s chin, forcing Tim to look at him. “Tim you’re my best friend. There is nothing in the world that is going to change that.” He licked his lips uncertainly. “How did you know?”  
   
Tim blinked, trying to regain his focus with Conner this close to him. “How-” he cleared his throat, “How did I know what?”  
   
“That you had feelings for me? What does it feel like?”  
   
Tim shook his head minutely. “I just, I don’t know. I look and you and I . . .” He trailed off, his face coloring slightly.  
   
“And you what?”  
   
“I want to-” He closed his eyes. “I want to kiss you.” Tim nearly jerked away when he felt hesitant lips brush his; his eyes snapped open and he searched Conner’s face trying to understand.  
   
Conner looked at him nervously. “Tim- I” he swallowed and then leaned in again, pulling Tim closer. Tim leaned into him this time, deepening the kiss until they had to break away, panting.   
   
Tim, trying to get his heart rate back under control, looked at Conner in confusion. “Conner?”  
   
Conner ran a hand over Tim’s chest. “I- oh fuck it, Tim, I want you, have wanted you – I didn’t think you swung that way, man, or I’d have been all over you ages ago!”  
   
Tim blinked. He had a sneaking suspicion that Miriam, wherever she was at the moment, was laughing at him. He sighed, a small smile sliding onto his face. “Before, I didn’t realize, and when you came back, everyone was so weird to you, I didn’t want to be another surprise.”  
   
“Yeah, but this is a good surprise. Like the best actually.” He pulled Tim towards him again, but Tim hesitated.  
   
“But Conner, what about Cass?”  
   
It was Conner’s turn to look confused. “What about her? I broke up with her, this is allowed.”  
   
Tim gave him a small smile. “Yes, I realize that. But, I thought that you liked girls.”  
   
“Oh, I’m Bi.”  
   
Tim blinked at him again, he said it so casually as if it was the most innocent and natural thing in the world. “You’ve known this for a while now, haven’t you?”  
   
“Sure, since like forever. Why?”  
   
Tim shook his head. “No reason, it’s just, this is all very new to me.”  
   
“Oh.” Realization dawned. “Oh, I get it. Hey, we can go slow. No worries.” He started to back away and Tim grabbed him.  
   
“We don’t need to go that slowly.”  
   
* * *  
   
"Oh God, Bruce, harder"  
   
Those words filled Bruce with the closest thing to heaven he would probably ever know. He sped up his pace, slamming into the body that was twisting and writhing beneath; Jay moaned in appreciation.  
   
He loved this man. It still caught him by surprise at times. He had never expected to fall in love, had thought himself incapable of the trust and communication it would require. But like so many other times in his life, he'd been wrong. Jay clenched around him and Bruce changed his angle slightly, allowing him to hit Jay's prostate from another angle making him groan in response. Bruce surveyed the flushed and panting figure below him and smiled, he eased back ever so slightly trying to make it last just that little bit longer. Jay moaned at the slight loss of friction and Bruce felt himself shudder in response. Bruce licked his suddenly dry lips and finally gave up the notion of making it last along with his precious self-control, finally allowing himself to slam full force into the body beneath him making Jay cry out in pleasure laced with just the right amount of pain. With sex, like so many other things, Jay was a contradiction. When jacking him off he wanted it as gentle as possible. But in the actual act, he liked it just that little bit rougher. He said that he liked to feel him even when he wasn’t there. At this point they knew each other's bodies better than they knew their own; Bruce knew exactly just what buttons to push, knew just the right amount of pain to heighten the pleasure, and knew just what to do to send Jay screaming over the edge. Jay, miraculously, had managed to learn him just as well.  
   
"Fuck yes!" Jay's whole body tightened and Bruce felt his own climax rip though him as he followed Jay down into the euphoric darkness. When Bruce finally managed, with no small amount of effort, to rouse himself, he rolled off of Jay and lay next to him, breathing hard. That was another thing that surprised him, he was in the best shape of just about anyone and yet these romps with Jay could leave him panting as if he'd been running for hours. His body felt pleasantly spent. It was rare that they had enough time to do this properly; between both their schedules it was hard to scrape up enough spare time for just a quick fuck, let alone something that took a couple of hours.  
   
He glanced over at Jay who was lying against his side. Jay's eyes were still closed, the medallion that hid him –even and especially from himself – lay gleaming on his chest. Bruce had been accused of being many things, but being stupid had never been one of them. He knew that Jay was scared of this relationship, much more so than he, oddly enough. From what he'd managed to glean from listening to Tim and Conner talk he knew that Jay hid parts of his personality from him, those parts that Jay deemed too Joker-esque. The thing was, he didn't care. He should, and he knew that he should, but he didn't. Every time he tried to make himself care that they were the same person he couldn't. Jay seemed to think that this was due to the amulet, but Bruce knew his own mind better than most. The Joker, the one that had haunted him for so many years, was finally dead. The war was over. This man, the man at his side, that filled him with such raw emotions that it robbed him of intelligent speech, he was similar to the Clown Prince of Crime but not in any way that matter. Jay was sarcastic and flippant by turns, and his sense of humor, as always, was a little off, but he was. . . Bruce just didn't know how to put it, words never having been his strong suit. He sighed mentally, wondering if he would ever be able to convince Jay that he had nothing to fear.  
   
"What?"  
   
Bruce made a face; he'd also yet to figure out how Jay always seemed to know what he was thinking.  
   
"How do you do that?"  
   
"Do what?"  
   
"Know what I’m thinking?" Jay grinned, a grin that Bruce knew well of the Joker of old.   
   
"Not that hard kiddo. Had a lot of practice and it's a hell of a lot easier without the mask."  
   
Bruce pondered that, there were moments, like now, that Bruce could feel that Jay was less guarded than normal, when he let more of himself slip through. Bruce loved these moments, and though he was loath to disrupt this one he needed to get to the bottom of this once and for all.  
   
"Jay I need to ask you something and I want an honest answer. I know that we've made lots of progress with Miriam over the last few months, and that’s been fantastic, but I sometimes get the feeling that you’re still afraid of me?"  
   
Jay blinked, and then wrapped his arms around him pulling him closer. "No babe, not anymore. Why do you ask?"  
   
"Because you were and I’m not certain. . . I don't know how much is real and how much is just the brave face that you're putting on."  
   
"What made you think I was scared of you in the first place? Aside from the dream incident," he commented dryly  
   
"I overheard Tim and Conner talking." He hesitated, overheard wasn't quite the right word and by the twinkle in Jay's eye he'd guessed that. "Ok, I had them bugged because I was pretty sure that there were things that you weren't telling me. Jay I don’t care that you've kept your old Joker stuff and. . . and it hurts that you think I would. . ." He trailed off, surprised to find it hard to talk around the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. He loved this man so much and he scared him that badly. It hurt to think about it.  
   
Jay’s eyes had gone wide, he pulled Bruce's head towards his brushing his lips over Bruce’s and murmured, "Bruce I’m not scared of you, I swear. Back then, it was just all so new, you know? I- yes then, I thought that you'd freak out. But I know better now. I do." He kissed him gently  
   
"Then let me see you without the amulet."  
   
Jay froze; he stayed that way for several moments until he finally asked, "You're sure?"  
   
"Please." It had come out a whisper; he hadn’t meant it to, but it just hurt so damn much that Jay trusted him so little that he thought that this was going to affect how Bruce felt about him.   
   
Jay took a deep breath. "Ok." And kissed him hard. Bruce could tell that he thought that he was kissing him goodbye. He vowed silently that he would make Jay believe that he loved him, all of him, if it was the last thing that he ever did. Jay slid his hand up to the clasp, Bruce could see that it wasn't entirely steady, but he stopped himself from trying to help because Jay might read that as a sign that he had changed his mind. When the amulet fell away the illusion dissolved before his eyes and there, in his tousled green hair and bleached glory sat the Joker, his eyes still shut.  
   
"B-Bruce?" he whispered  
   
Bruce pulled him into his arms and kissed him over and over again until Jay returned the kiss. When they broke apart breathing hard Bruce could see tears running down Jay's face.  
   
"Jay?" Bruce asked, believing for one horrified moment that he'd hurt him somehow.  
   
Jay scrubbed at his face self-consciously. "It's nothing, I- I’m just stupid."  
   
Bruce pulled him into his arms and kissed the top of his head. "You thought I’d leave."  
   
Jay shuddered, and then nodded. "Yeah, I thought you’d leave. I- I haven't taken this off since I left Arkham." He shook his head, and went to put the amulet back on but Bruce stopped him.  
   
"Don’t. I want to see you for a while, not the illusion."  
   
Jay gave him a watery glare. "You can't possible like looking at me like this."  
   
Bruce frowned. "Jay you look the same, all that's different is the coloring." He ran a hand along Jay's cheek and Jay leaned into the touch. "I love you. I don't care what you look like." Jay shrugged but made no move to put the amulet back on, instead placing it carefully on the nightstand. As he leaned back against Bruce he caught sight of himself in the mirror opposite. He studied himself for several moments and then finally shook his head.  
   
“What?” Bruce asked concerned.  
   
“Stupid curls,” Jay complained as he tried to shove them into some semblance of order. It didn’t work.  
   
Bruce laughed, surprised. “I love them.”  
   
Jay blinked up at him. “Seriously?”  
   
“Mmmm, very much so.” Bruce ran a hand through Jay’s hair and he shivered.  
   
Jay looked again at himself in the mirror. “Not quite as bad as I remember it. And I do look the same.” He sounded surprised. “I guess I built it up in my head that I was, I don’t know, horribly disfigured or something. You know other than being bleached and green-headed.”  
   
“It goes with your eyes,” Bruce teased but then he turned more serious. “You should have said something to Miriam, Jay, that’s not healthy.”  
   
“I know, but what with everything else going on. . . I guess I started to believe some of the hype about myself, there are some truly scary pictures out there. . .” He looked at the amulet on the bedside. “Would you- would it bother you if I didn’t wear it around the house?”  
   
Bruce hugged him, tilting his head up so that he could kiss him properly. “I would encourage it."  
   
Jay looked him in the eyes. “And, truthfully now, it doesn’t bother you?”  
   
Bruce considered the question, knowing that Jay didn’t want a knee jerk reassurance – that had gotten them in trouble in the past. He looked him over. True it did make it much easier to think of him as the Joker this way. . . but that was probably for the best. It was time they moved on from this.  
   
"No, it doesn’t and it won’t bother me. Yes it makes it easier to think of you as the Joker, but like I keep telling you,” he admonished gently, “the Joker that I knew and hunted is gone, you’re just his twin brother who has some similar but non-lethal habits.”  
   
Jay chuckled at the line that Bruce had come to use frequently in therapy. “Alright, sounds good.”  
   
Bruce pulled Jay back against him and started stroking his stomach, causing Jay to hum in appreciation, when Bruce’s eyes fell on the note sticking out of his jacket pocket. He’d almost forgotten. He hesitated for a moment and then shrugged mentally, now was as good a time as any. “Jay, I want you to come to the Desmin’s Christmas party with me."  
   
Jay blinked. "The who?"  
   
Bruce chuckled. "The annual Andréa Desmin’s Christmas Party, I know you've heard of it. You crashed it a couple years back."  
   
"Oh, that party. Yeah. Wait. You want me to come with you? As- as in as a date?"  
   
"Yes."  
   
A flush spread over Jay's white skin and Bruce grinned. Jay tackled him and they wrestled until Bruce pinned him and Jay harrumphed. "Cheater." Bruce kissed him happily before letting him up. "Um, so let me get this straight, you're saying you want to come out at the party?" Jay shook his head, sighing theatrically, but he was grinning like an idiot. "You never were one for subtlety were you. S’fine by me, but- oh shit, um," he hesitated. "Bruce you do know that the amulets don't work on cameras right? One picture and it won't be me you'll be with, it’ll be the Joker."  
   
Bruce looked surprised, the thought hadn’t even occurred to him, but if Bruce Wayne playboy billionaire came out of the closet then it was going to be in every tabloid – and some of the real news papers he though dolefully – inside of a day. Honestly if it had just been him he wouldn't have been that bothered by it, but the other Capes, especially Dick would have a fit, and neither he nor Jay needed that at the moment. He could see the same thoughts reflected in Jay's eyes. Finally he asked, “Isn’t there anything that Miriam can do?"  
   
"Stir up a tornado?"  
   
"Pardon?"  
   
"You remember a couple months back when they tried to have that celebration in honor of M? Well her illusion doesn't work on cameras either, so she whipped up a tornado and had the thing canceled due to inclement weather. That was all she could think of. Sorry." He hesitated. "There is, M said that she could maybe heal me, physically. I could ask her about that. But . . she said that it could be pretty dangerous."  
   
"How dangerous?"  
   
Jay sighed. "It could kill me."  
   
Bruce's eyes went wide. "Jay! God no! We'll figure out something else! That is not even an option."  
   
Jay nodded looking frustrated. “I’ll talk to M, but I don’t know what she can do, the magic can only go so far, you know?” Jay thought about it for a moment. “May be I can do something. I am a scientist, after all.”  
   
Bruce hugged him. “We’ll all work on it. You’ll see, come Christmas, we’ll be making headlines of the non-supervillain variety.”  
   
Jay laughed. “Aw, you say the nicest things.”

Becoming:  
Chapter Four  
   
“Did you talk to him?”  
   
Bruce looked up to find Clark hovering—and with Clark it was never metaphorical—next to his consul. “Yes I talked to him.”  
   
“And?” he responded hopefully  
   
Bruce rolled his eyes under the cowl, but Clark ignored him “And he’s up stairs. Give me a minute to finish this and I’ll take you up.”  
   
Clark’s eyes widened in surprise, “He knows?”  
   
Bruce didn’t respond, so Clark assumed the answer was yes. He waited while Bruce finished the project he was currently working on, saved and stood up. He preceded Clark up the stairs, pulling the cowl off as he entered the manor.  
   
 As Bruce led him through the house he could hear a conversation going on in the kitchen, between Alfred and someone whose voice sounded vaguely familiar but he couldn’t quite place.   
   
“No seriously,” Clark could hear the second voice say distantly, “if you timed it right, with all the ovens in here, you could have something like a six coarse meal all in one go.  
   
Alfred sniffed and responded dryly, “Only if you were planning on doing the washing up as well.”  
   
There was silence in response and then Clark could hear the sound of the fridge being opened “you know for a billionaire he sure eats poorly.”  
   
Alfred sounded pained, “I have tried Mater Jay, but most of the time I’m lucky if I can get him to remember to eat at all.”  
   
Clark and Bruce entered the room to see the second man wave the statement away, “No worries Alfie, s’not your fault—Jesus! Seriously I’m gonna put a fucking bell on you!”  
   
Bruce grinned broadly, nodding to Alfred as he excused himself, and then turned to Clark, “Alright, you wanted to talk to him, here he is. Superman, may I present Jay O’Connell, Jay Superman.”  
   
Jay waved, “howdy.”  
   
As in the case of Miriam, Jay was not what he’d pictured. Short and slender, with curly dark hair, he was a far cry from the typical S.T.A.R labs scientist. The feeling of familiarity poked him again but for the life of him Clark could not think where he might know him. Clark cleared his throat and extended a hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. O’Connell. What you’ve done is absolutely amazing. I can’t thank you enough for helping to bring Conner back to us.”  
   
“Call me Jay,” Jay replied with a smile, taking his hand, “and I was happy to do it. It was fun, actually, and it gave me a great spin-off project.”  
   
Clark blinked, “Sorry?”  
   
“Oh, I work for Wayne Tech,” he waved indicating Bruce who was leaning against the wall watching the exchanging, “and we’re, and when I say ‘we’ I mean my poor over worked and under appreciated staff—  
   
“They are nothing of the sort” Bruce snorted, the corners of his mouth twitching “well they’re not under appreciated anyway. It’s your fault that they’re over worked.”  
   
Jay turned towards Bruce a look of hurt innocents on his face, “You wound sir.” He turned back towards Clark, “you see what I have to put up with. Anyway, we’re working on cloning individual body parts from scratch, as it were.”  
   
Clark had watched the exchange between the two of them in silence but his eyebrows had shot up at the playful tone. “Oh,” he blinked after rewinding the conversation a bit and listening to the actual words rather then marveling at the face that Bruce was actively joking with someone. “That’s—I don’t believe that that’s ever been managed has it?”  
   
Jay made a face, “Not yet I’m afraid, but I’m still working on it.”  
   
“You know the men and women at S.T.A.R labs would absolutely love to talk to you, I’m assuming that the cloning project wasn’t undertaken at the behest of Wayne Tech?”  
   
“Stop trying to poach my staff.”  Bruce admonished from the doorway  
   
“I’m not trying to poach him, but really what he’s done is remarkable.” Clark argued, turning back to Jay, “I’m not saying that you’d have to quit—you could do consulting work—  
   
“Supey, not that—  
   
The penny dropped, and Clark’s eyes went wide, “Joker?!”  
   
Jay stopped mid-sentence, mouth hanging open, “uh, sorry?” he replied weakly  
   
Bewildered, Clark turned towards Bruce who was still leaning in the doorway a frown now on his face, “Bruce what on earth is going on?”  
   
Bruce looked confused, “What do you mean what’s going on? You’re the one who just made the bizarre outburst, not me.”  
   
Clark shook his head, “he sounds like” he turned towards Jay, “you sound just like the Joker.”  
   
Jay frowned, “The guy with the bleached skin and green hair? Laughed a lot?”  
   
“Ah,” Clark coughed, “yeah, him.”  
   
“Thanks.” Jay responded dryly, “You know if you’re planning on doing this recruiting thing full time you need to work on your people skills.”  
   
Clark felt the color rising in his cheeks, but he’d been so sure. No one else ever called him Supey but the Joker, and the voice . . . but he certainly didn’t look like the Joker. And what were the odds that Bruce of all people . . . he shook his head again, clearly a year long vacation hadn’t been long enough.  
   
“I’m sorry—it’s just, the similarity is just uncanny. I meant no office.”  
   
Jay smiled slightly, “Ah. As for the consulting work,” Jay continued, “I really don’t have the time. Thanks all the same.”  
   
Clark nodded, deciding to let it go, he still felt extraordinarily unsettled and he suddenly very much wanted to be else where, “Alright then. I understand, oh one more thing though, you haven’t seen Conner have you?” Concern crept back into his voice at the thought of how long Conner had been missing.  
   
Jay took pity on him, “Yeah, I know where he is and he’s fine. I promise. He’s just trying to get his head strait, but I think it’s time that you two sat down and had a bit of a talk. You have to understand supy-er Superman,” Clark noticed as he stumbled over his name and his feeling of wrongness intensified, “Conner sometimes feels it difficult to live up to the example that you set, it makes it hard for him to talk to you. You have a tendency to intimidate we mere mortals.”  
   
Clark’s eyes narrowed at “we mere mortals” the Joker had used that line as well. “I—thank you. I’ll try to be less . . .”  
   
“Holier than thou?” Bruce offered from the doorway, causing Clark to turn and glare at him.  
   
“I was going to say less intimidating.”  
   
“That too.” Bruce replied with a smirk  
   
Clark shook his head, and turned back towards Jay, “Well thank you for meeting with me Jay. Bruce?”  
   
“I’ll show you out. Jay, try not to blow up my kitchen.”  
   
Jay turned back towards the stoves with a gleam in his eye, “No promises.”  
   
*  
   
Once they were out of earshot Clark rounded on Bruce, “Bruce that is the Joker. I know it is.  And if you want to feed me some hog wash story about how—  
   
Bruce held up his hand, “Enough Clark. Yes he was the Joker. Now he’s not.” 

 Confusion exploded in Clark’s mind. It was like . . . it was as if he’d suddenly invited Luthor to tea. “Bruce how . . . why—but he knows . . . this, this is unreal!”  
   
Bruce was smirking at Clark’s discomfort and for one uncharacteristic moment Clark longed to wipe that smug look off his face, “Bruce, explain!”  
   
“Aren’t you the one always talking about giving people a second chance?”

“Bruce this is the Joker.”

Bruce sighed heavily, “He’s not.

“But you just said—  
“You know Miriam, the head of Arkham?” Bruce interrupted. Clark nodded, confusion plane on his face. “She healed his mind, Clark. Completely. He’s basically a different person, as you saw. He is now a very nice man who also happens to be a genius chemist. And my friend.”  
   
“She healed him? And you believe it? Just like that?”  
   
Bruce shrugged, “No, not ‘just like that’ it took a long, long time. But if I can trust him, being the paranoid bastard that I am, then I think you can cut him a little slack.”  
   
“No, yes, of course. If Miriam can walk people back from the dead then healing people’s minds can’t be too difficult can it?” Clark’s mind was reeling. Friend he’d called the Joker a friend. Clark could count on one hand the number of people that Bruce called friend “And, I’d heard that he’d been released, of course, and it’s been what? Almost two years with nothing. That’s something right there. And good for him—it’s just . . .I find it hard that you are so accepting, after all the things that he’s done. Jason Todd and Barbara for heaven sake—”  
   
“Haven’t you and Diana been telling me that I need to stop living in the past?”  
   
“Well yes—  
   
“Well there you go then. I’m talking your advice.”  
   
“But Bruce, the Joker?”  
   
“Enough Clark. Let it go.” Bruce growled.  
   
Clark felt at a loss to communicate just how wrong this was. “I want—I think that you should come with me to the Fortress of Solitude.”  
   
“Good God why?” Bruce barked.  
   
Because I think that your mind is somehow being controlled and I want to get you out from under his influence. “Because this needs further discussion and I’d like to do it somewhere less—  
   
Realization clearly dawned and Bruce rolled his eyes, “My mind is not being manipulated Clark. I leave that in the capable hands of the JLA.” He remarked bitterly and Clark winced. “But if it will make you feel better, fine. I wanted to get a couple more of the crystals for analysis anyway.”  
   
Clark nodded in relief.  
   
*   *   *  
   
   
 Jay glared at the stove in frustration and fought down the rising panic. He knew that he’d been letting his voice slip lately. He shook his head in disgust; this…this could be bad. He wrenched his mind away from that line of thought and tried again to convince himself that Kent had bought it. He’d just have to start working on it again, he reasoned, especially if he and Bruce we were really planning on coming out to the general public. He scrubbed a hand over his face and through his hair, mussing the curls. Hell, if he could fool Bruce then he could fool anybody. He’d just have to go back to practicing on a daily basis again. Joy. Jay glanced down as his phone rang.  
   
“Hello?”  
   
“I’m not going to be back for a while. We’re heading off to the Fortress of Solitude.”  
   
“The where?”  
   
“His Batcave.”  
   
“Ah,” Jay sighed taking a seat at the kitchen table, “I take it he wasn’t convinced. Bruce, damn it, I am so sorry. You should have told me I was slipping!”  
   
There was silence on the other end of the phone. Finally Bruce confessed, “I hadn’t noticed.”  
   
Jay’s eyebrows shot up, “Seriously?”  
   
Bruce cleared his throat in annoyance, “No. According to Tim I have difficulty staying objective in situations where I’m emotional evolved. Apparently there is some truth to the statement.” He cleared his throat again dismissing the subject. In spite of everything it made Jay smirk, Bruce was nothing if not a control freak and when that control slipped? “But,” Bruce continued, “if anyone had to find out, he’d be the one we wanted.”  
   
“How do you figure?”  
   
“He’s a big believer in second chances. And since the rest of the Cape community worships him, should we ever need a testimonial we can’t do better than him. I just have to convince him that you’re not controlling my mind and that I haven’t gone insane myself.”  
   
“Oh good.”  
   
*   *   *  
Bruce headed towards the crystal bank to return the two crystals that he had borrowed previously and began trying to determine which he would take back with him. Clark stood silently by his side, clearly trying to figure out the best way to ask if Bruce was still out of his mind. Bruce smirked to himself, “Clark, stop hovering.”  
   
“Bruce . . .” Clark shook his head, “Bruce I want you to tell me, here, that you are not under any form of mind control. That you are, of your own free will, associating with the man who used to be known as the Joker and has tried to kill you on a number of occasions and has killed countless other including your apprentice Jason Todd as well as crippling Barbara Gordon. Look me in the eyes and tell me that none of this bothers you.”  
   
Bruce sighed, “Clark don’t be an idiot. Of course it bothers me. If I could bring back Jason or heal Barbara by hating Jay then this would be a conversation worth having. But I can’t, so it’s not. Yes he is my friend, he’s . . .”Bruce trailed off in frustration. “I’m not the one you need to be talking to.” He continued quietly, “Because clearly nothing I say is going to change your mind. Talk to Miriam, that’s what Tim told me to do when I found out who he really was—and yes before you say anything I didn’t know who he was at first, his voice has been slipping of late. So I got to know him without prejudice, had I known from the start then probably, yes, I would never have taken the time to get to know him. So go talk to her Clark, hell talk to Jay. Ask Conner, or Tim, and they’ll tell you what I’ve told you, that he’s no longer the Joker and to shun him for what he did when he was mentally ill is not only hypocritical it’s counter productive to what we do. We preach about change, we put people behind bars and into Arkham so that they can be induced to change. If we refuse to believe in that change when it finally happens then what the hell are we working to accomplish exactly?” With that Bruce grabbed up a couple more crystals turned abruptly and headed for the plane.  
   
Clark watched him go, but didn’t try to stop him.   He turned back towards the Fortress, knowing that he had a great deal of thinking to do.  
   
*   *   *  
   
“Wha?” Jay muttered sleepily as he found himself being lifted off the couch.  
   
Bruce kissed his temple, “I would have thought you’d have gone home.” He remarked as he carried Jay towards the master bedroom.  
   
Jay buried his face in Bruce’s chest and mumbled, “Was planning on it, fell asleep. Howdit go?”  
   
Bruce sighed, “About as well as I expected, I told him to talk to Miriam, and he might be dropping by to talk to you as well.”  
   
Jay tensed slightly, “goodie.”  
   
“He’s a good guy Jay,” Bruce soothed, “One of the best actually.”  
   
“Oh really? Jay raised an eyebrow at him sleepily, “Should I be jealous?”  
   
“No you idiot,” Bruce chided, grinning, “for one thing he’s married”  
   
“So he is Clark Kent. Thought so.”  
   
Bruce ignored him “And for another I’m already madly in love with someone else.”  
   
“Luck guy. Do I know him?”  
   
Laughing, Bruce dumped him on the bed, “Go to sleep.”  
   
“I was, until somebody woke me up.”  
   
Bruce stripped down and slid into bed next to him, “I’ll make it up to your in the morning.”  
   
Jay leered at him. “You could make it up to me now.”  
   
“I could,” Bruce agreed, “but you’d probably fall asleep during.”  
   
Jay was considering when he suddenly yawned hugely, “Um point.” He conceded sheepishly, “Morning it is then.”  
*   
   
Jay rolled over and glanced at the clock and then did a double take. He pushed himself up on one elbow and poked Bruce in the ribs, “I take it we aren’t going into work today? Or to therapy?”  
   
Bruce, who had been watching him sleep, smiled, “No where’re going shopping.”  
   
“Shopping? What the hell for?”  
   
“Clothes, for you to wear to the Christmas party. At least I’m assuming that you don’t own a tux.”  
   
“Safe assumption. Um, Bruce you realize that if we come out now, then Supey is going to know that you’re not only best buddies with the Joker but that you’re fucking him to boot.  
   
Bruce actually laughed, “His mind doesn’t work that way. He’ll think we’re dating, but he’s a big proponent of not having sex until after mirage.”  
   
Jay stared at him for a moment and then rolled his eyes, “Why am I not surprised? Ok so he’ll know that you’re dating the Joker.”  
   
Bruce rolled over until he was on top of Jay pinning him to the bed. “Let him.”  
Jay’s breathe quickened and he groaned as their groins made contact, “now I believe that I own you an apology for waking you up last night.”  
   
Jay nodded vigorously, “Oh god yes.” Bruce chuckled into his ear sending shivers down his spine. God but he loved this man.      
*   *   *  
   
“One day I will come to understand why super heroes have such an aversion to doors. Maybe I should do a study?” Jay commented dryly as he turned to find Superman standing in his window. “So what can I do for you Supey?”  
   
Superman opened his mouth and then shut it, taking in the scene before him. The Joker-Jay- was wearing a much stained lab coat over a rumbled black dress shirt and black slacks. The florescence lights above reflected off his glasses that were smudged from God alone knew what.   
   
“Did I come at a bad time?” Superman asked hesitantly.  
   
“What? Oh no,” Jay waved him in, “it’s just that Bruce always comes in via the window as well, so do Tim and Connor for that matter. I’ve just never really seen the appeal. I suppose if you’re a flier then it makes sense but Bruce could just as easily walk up the damn stairs. He does own the building after all.” Jay shook his head, “Sorry, I’m rambling. So, did you come here to warn me away from Bruce?”  
   
Superman’s eyes narrowed. “Possibly. I came to ask you what your interest in him was.”  
   
“You mean beyond his being my boss and a really interesting guy to talk to?”  
   
“Yes,” Superman replied crossing arms over his chest, “Beyond that.”  
   
“Ah. Well you know we met here and for the longest time that’s all he was, my boss and this puzzle that I couldn’t crack. I like puzzles, so I kept at it. And then one thing kinda led to another and some how we ended up dating—  
   
“Dating!” Superman shouted causing Jay to flinch and take a step back; Superman modulated his tone and continued, “Bruce failed to mention that!”  
   
“So I gathered,” Jay replied dryly as he took his glasses off and started cleaning them.  
   
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to shout. It was—is just such a surprise. So, so you’re dating each other?” He coughed, his voice sounding extremely strained, “So how long has that been going on?”  
   
“It’ll be a year in March.”  
   
“You’re kidding!” Superman barked.  
   
Jay winced again, “No, no I’m not I’m afraid.”  
   
Superman ran a hand through his hair in confusion, “I, I’m not quite sure what to say to that.” He said finally.  
   
Jay sighed, putting his glasses back on. “Here I’ll help. You’ll get over the initial shock and it will sink in the Batman, the world’s greatest detective, the dark knight himself is gay. And he’s fucking the Joker. You’ll reason that this can’t be right—because we all know that Batman just can’t be gay. So, of course the Joker must have done something to him. Makes perfect sense, after all he’s a perverse monster isn’t he? Stands to reason. So then you’ll come back here, accuse me of such and then demand that I release Bruce from whatever perverted spell I’ve got him under. Sound about right?”  
   
“I—no I don’t think, I mean Bruce says that you’re better and so do Miriam and Conner. We talked by the way,” Superman continued randomly, “you were right, when I confronted him about his having difficulty talking to me he said pretty much the same thing you’d said, that while he wanted to be worthy of the S, it was a really tough act to follow. I’d, I’d never realized. He thinks the world of you, by the way, and he was rather up set that I—you’re really dating Bruce?”  
   
“Yeah, I’m really dating him.” Jay replied, concern starting to show on his face, “Are you ok? Do you need to sit down or something?”  
   
Superman shook his head, “No, no I’m fine.” He took a deep breath, “Look, Jay I think we got off to a wrong start. And if you’re really—do you love him?” He asked sharply  
   
“Yes.” Jay replied without hesitation, looking even more confused.  
   
“And—and he loves you?”  
   
“Yes.”  
   
“Actually yes, I do need to sit down.”  
   
*  
“And then we talked for a bit more—he seems unsettled not by your being gay but by your being in love.” Jay shifted the phone as he poured liquid from a beaker into a dish.   
   
He could hear the frown in Bruce’s voice when he said, “And he just suddenly took off?”  
   
“Yep, like a shot, right out the window. I wouldn’t be too worried. By the end he seemed pretty much normal again. At least he didn’t look like he was about to fall over from heart failure anyway. Can Superman even have a heart attack?”  
   
“Doubtful.” Bruce hesitated, “I’m going to try and track him down. I’ll call you back.  
   
*   *   *  
Superman burst though the window of Jay’s apartment to find Tim and Conner making out on the couch. “Is everybody gay?!” He shouted in surprise causing Conner to tumble off of Tim and on to the floor.  
   
“Uh, hi Supes.” Conner said, equally surprised to find his some times mentor hovering over him, “Um, so what they hell are you doing here?”  
   
“How long?” Clark demanded  
   
Conner looked thoroughly confused, glancing at Tim and then back at him “How long what?”  
   
“How long have you two been together?”  
   
“Um, a couple of weeks. Not that, you know, it’s really any of your business. Supes what’s up, man?”  
   
Clark shook himself, “Did you—and this conversation is not over yet—but did you know that Bruce and Jay are dating?”  
   
“Sure.” Conner replied glancing at Tim again.  
   
Tim shrugged, “They’ve been dating for almost a year now. They’re really happy together. In fact I’ve never seen Bruce so happy.”  
   
“Right. So, right. So you think it’s perfectly normal that Bruce is sleeping with the Joker.”  
   
Tim sighed, “Superman I know it’s hard to believe but he’s really not—  
   
Clark waved it away, “I know he’s not the Joker. I know that. I can look in his eyes and see that he’s not the same man. And Bruce is right, if we, of all people, aren’t willing to give people a second chance, then who will? And he’s earned it, I just—you’ve had time to get used to this. For me it’s as if it all happened at the same time. Are, are they’re really in love?”  
   
Tim grinned, “Yeah.”  
   
Conner nodded, “Big time. You’re not gonna hassle’em are you? Because we talked about this—  
   
“No, no. I’m glad they’re happy.  
   
The room drifted into silence. Tim broke it by noting; “It’s probably good that you found out this way, you’d have been reading about it in a week anyway.”  
   
“What?”  
   
“They’re coming out at the Christmas party next week. Of course you have an added dimension, because you know who Jay used to be, but I think it’s going to come as a pretty big shock to the rest of the Capes who know who Bruce is. Which reminds me, no one outside our little circle knows about Jay. So make sure that you don’t say anything to anyone.”  
   
“They’re coming out at a Christmas party?! God Lord. And yes, Miriam has already threatened me, quite imaginatively. And if the woman can raise people from the dead and make the Joker sane, I’m inclined to listen to her. I’ll keep my mouth shut. But I’m amazed that more people haven’t picked up on it.”  
   
Tim shrugged, “Well his voice has been slipping lately, he’s going to have to work on that, but really, when you look at Jay do you honestly think Joker?”  
   
Superman sighed, “No, not at all. I was just thinking that same thing earlier tonight. He looks perfectly normal, which I understand to be the work of a talisman?” Tim and Conner nodded, “fascinating. I should try and get Miriam to join the JLA.”  
   
Both Conner and Tim laughed, “She’ll say no.”  
   
Superman frowned, “I was joking, but why do you say that?”  
   
Tim did his best impersonation of Miriam’s accent, “I don’t do spandex.” He snickered, “We’ve tried to get her to join the Titans. She’s not interested.”  
   
“She’s a bit old for the teen Titians don’t you think.”  
   
Conner suddenly looked nervous but Tim shrugged, “We’ve got Cyborg and he’s in his twenties. We had Beast Boy—anyway, it’s a moot point. She’s not interested in doing the superhero thing.”  
   
“Well it’s certainly not for everybody . . . so,” he cleared his throat switching subjects, “am I the first to know about you two?”  
   
They exchanged worried glances, “Um,” Conner hazarded from the floor, “Well, the second. Jay knows.”  
   
Superman nodded, “I think we need to have a bit of a talk.”  
   
“Um, Supes, if you mean the birds and the bees man, it’s a little late for that.”  
   
Superman looked at him sharply, “How late?”  
   
Conner rolled his eyes, “Supes, man, I don’t really wanna get into this. Let’s just say that we both know what we’re doing, ok? And no offense, but it’s really none of your business. I don’t mess around with your love life.”  
   
“I think,” Superman said frowning, “that the circumstances are slightly different here.”  
   
“Not really.”  Came Jay’s voice from the door, “Hello all. Supey nice to see you again, you know you’ve got Bruce worried sick with the way that you took off like that?” He walked over and hung up his coat, as if finding superheroes and half naked boys in his living room was the most normal thing in the world. He headed towards the kitchen. “Can I get you anything?”  
   
Superman looked slightly off balance, “Um, no thank you, I’m fine.”   
   
Jay nodded, “Boys?”  
   
“Waffles!” Conner crowed making Jay laugh.  
   
An awkward pause seemed to decimate the already flagging conversation as Jay started getting down the bowls and ingredients to make waffles. He glanced up, “Don’t let me interrupted, you, Supey were about to explain how you have the right to meddle in their love lives.”  
   
Superman frowned, “I’m not meddling. But relationships of this nature should be taken seriously. And you’re both rather young—  
   
“We’re sixteen!”  
   
“And I know that it feels like you know everything there is to know, but sex should be something between adults who understand all that their actions entail.”  
   
“So, just checking here,” Jay remarked, looking up from the batter he was making “they’re old enough to save the world and face armed gunmen but they’re not old enough to have sex?”  
   
Superman hesitated, “Sex is . . . different.”  
   
“More pleasant certainly.” Jay remarked  
   
Superman frowned again, “Jay look I appreciate that you feel that you need to defend them but this is really none of your concern.”  
   
Jay’s eyes flashed angrily, but his tone remained calm “As Conner is staying with me, and Tim is the adopted son of my boyfriend, I rather think that this is very much my concern, thank you. In fact one could argue much more so than yours.”  
   
“Thank you.” Conner replied looking at Jay, “At least somebody around here is thinking rationally. Look enough already, this conversation is beyond ridiculous. I’ve already had sex for the love of God. Cass and I slept together before I died, and even your parents were cool with it, so unbend a little ok?”  
   
Superman opened and shut his mouth a couple of times and then shook his head, He looked from Conner to Tim to Jay and sighed heavily, “This has been the longest night. I think we—and by we, I mean me,” he smiled slightly, “should take a step back. We can talk about this when we’ve all had time to get used to everything.”  
   
“That’s a good idea.” Jays remarked cutting off whatever Conner had been planning to retort. “Why don’t you come over for dinner tomorrow? We can all talk then.”  
   
Superman nodded, clearly grateful to have an out, “Fine. I’ll see you all then.”  
   
Jay shook his head as he watched superman disappear into the night, “Honestly I don’t think we could have dumped more on him if we’d tried.”  
   
“Look Jay I’m sorry,” Conner began, “We hand no idea—  
   
Jay waved it way, “No worries kiddo, not your fault.” He sighed, “I’d better called Bruce and let him know that we’ll all be having a pow-wow tomorrow. Er, then again, actually Tim, you had better do it. You need to drop the bomb on him tonight, so that he won’t be getting any nasty surprises tomorrow.”  
   
*   *   *  
   
“Bruce?” Tim’s voice echoed throughout the cave, Bruce glanced up from the consul, clearly surprised—and concerned— to find Tim in his civvies.  
   
“Problem?”   
   
Tim sighed, “Yes and no. I need to talk to you about something, could you come upstairs?” Bruce nodded and Tim continued, “And we found superman, I’m assuming that Jay called you?” The plan had been that Jay would call Bruce and let him know that they had found Superman and then Tim would let him know what was going on. He was glad to see that things were on schedule when Bruce nodded again and replied.  
   
 “He did. I’ll be up in a moment.”  
   
Fifteen minuets latter saw them seated in the living room, both clearly worried if for different reasons. “Look, I’ll be blunt” Tim began directly, “because I know that you appreciate that and I don’t really know how to broach this. I’ve been dating Superboy, Conner, for the last couple of weeks. Superman found out tonight and he was a bit, well, hysterical is too strong a word, but let’s just say that if he hadn’t been the man of steel I think his head might have exploded.”  
   
Bruce actually laughed, “Is that all?  God Tim you had me worried. Well, congratulations on the relationship with Conner and you know if you need to talk—  
   
Tim grinned, “I can ask Jay.”  
   
Bruce smirked at him “That’s not entirely fair, you know, I’ve been doing better.”  
   
Tim’s grinned widened, “True, but when it comes to romantic pointers I still think I’ll be talking to Jay.”  
   
“Probably a good idea.” Bruce conceded, “I’m assuming that Jay knows?”  
   
“Oh yeah, he’s known almost from the start. We mostly hang at his place.”  
   
“I’ve noticed. You do know that you are welcome to bring him over here, he does know after all.”  
   
Tim nodded, “And now that you know, I will. Oh one more thing, apparently we will all be sitting down together, you, me, Conner, Jay and Superman, to discuss, well, everything.”  
   
“Oh really?” Bruce commented dryly.  
   
“Yes, it was something of a move to placate Superman. He’s not taking Conner and me possibly being sexually active very well. He does seem to be ok with the two of you.” Tim shrugged, “Apparently we’re drawing his fire.”  
   
“Kind of you.”  
   
“It wasn’t intentional I assure you.”  
   
*   *   *  
   
Dinner was . . . awkward. Superman arrived at Jays house to find Bruce and Jay in much the same position that he’d found Conner and Tim the night before. They looked up startled and Jay glanced at the clock. “Um, Supey you’re a bit early.”  
   
Superman’s cheeks colored, “I’m sorry, I made better time than I expected and I” he cleared his throat nervously, “I wanted to apologize to both of your for my behavior.”  
   
Jay and Bruce unwounded from one another, Bruce sliding his hands out from Jay’s pants and straitening clothes surreptitiously, “It’s ok, we were expecting about as much.” Bruce assured him, “But we’re hoping that we can count on you to keep what you know to yourself.”  
   
Superman nodded vigorously, “What you two are up to is your business. And, about the boys, I thought it over Jay and you were more or less right. I’ve got no say in what happens to Tim, certainly, but Conner . . .” he sighed, and took a seat in the living room, “What Conner needs is a family. He needs parental guidance. I’m not his father, but I feel the pressing need to stand in for his lack, which makes it seems as if I go over board at times, but the truth is I’m just not around for most of it. I was wondering . . . he likes you so much and he’s happy here . . . would you consider adopting him. Officially?”  
   
Jay’s mouth fell open in surprise, “And you’d be ok with that? Even knowing . . .”  
   
Superman nodded, “I trust Bruce and I trust Conner. And they trust you. So I’m inclined to follow their lead. That doesn’t mean that I won’t rethink that if you don’t toe the line mind you.” He warned seriously, “But, please Jay? He needs a home. I know that I’m asking a lot, I could help financially—  
   
Jay waved it away, “I make a hell of a lot more than you do kiddo, and you’re not asking for anything I hadn’t already considered. I thought that you might, you know, make things hard, so I’ve been reluctant to bring it up with Conner not knowing if I could follow through. But if you’re ok with it then I’ll be more than happy to see if he’d like to stay. But you were wrong on one aspect.”  
   
“Oh?”  
   
“Yeah, he doesn’t need parental guidance nearly as much he needs somebody to love him.” Jay blinked at him self, “Hey listen to me I sound like a Hallmark card. But it’s true. Kid needs to know that he’s got somebody in his corner. I can do that.”  
   
When the boys arrived Jay took Conner off to talk with him leaving the other three to deal with the ensuing awkwardness.   
   
“What’s up?” Conner asked cautiously  
   
“I’ve got a question for you, I’m not expecting an immediate answer, you can think it over for as long as you’d like but I got an unexpected go ahead so I thought that I’d jump on it.”  
   
“Jay, man you’re not making in sense.”  
   
Jay laughed nervously, “Ok, fine, I wanted to know if you want to stay here, permanently. In other words I’m offering to adopt you. If you want. You don’t have to, and like I said you can think it over—  
   
“Yes.”  
   
Jay looked nonplused, “yes what?”  
   
“Yes, I want you to adopt me.” He shifted uncomfortably, “I like it here. I like being close to Tim, and you know, you’re really cool, like when you stood up to Supes for me. Nobody’s ever done that. And when you and M brought me back and you called me your son” he rolled his eyes at himself, “I sound like an idiot but . . . I liked that too . . .  
   
Jay reached over and pulled him into a tight hug, “Son it is.”  
   
They broke apart and eyed each other in mutual embarrassment until Jay cleared his throat nosily, “Shall we go make sure that they’ve not killed each other in our absence?”  
   
“So how are we doing?” Jay asked as they came back into the room.  
   
Tim grinned, “We’ve come to the realization that you are the only thing that keeps the conversation going.”  
   
Jay laughed, and then cleared his throat self-consciously after seeing Superman wince, “Ah, yeah, sorry, still working on that. So yeah, ok, boys, Supey has come to the conclusion that your love life ain’t his business after all. We’re all agreed there. I’ll be adopting Conner—  
   
“Seriously?” Tim asked  
   
“Yup, which means were gonna have to do it quickly because if Bruce and I are still planning to paint the town next week we need to have all the T’s dotted and the I’s crossed.”  
   
Superman shook his head, “I cannot believe that you two are going to come out at a Christmas party.”  
   
Jay glanced at Bruce and they both grinned, “What can we say; we both like to make an entrance.”  
   
“Did you ever figure something out for the pictures?” Conner asked suddenly  
   
Jay frowned, “Well, yes and no. For the time being M and I have managed to whip up something that will screw with the light frequency of the cameras so I’ll just show up as a big white flash of light.” He smiled evilly, “which they’ll never know cause it’ll muck up the rest of their film. Thus making it harder to pinpoint what’s causing the problem. Not a solution, but the best we’ve come up with so far.”  
   
“Did I miss something?” Superman asked in confusion  
   
“Oh, the amulet that I’m wearing only works on people, not cameras. It has to have a mind to fuck with.”  
   
Superman made a face at the swear word and glanced at the boys causing Jay to burst out laughing, “Supey they’re sixteen, they know words that we’ve never even heard of. So lessee, I think that’s about it. Who’s hungry?”   
   
*   *   *  
   
When Jay got into the limo Bruce remarked, “You look about as nervous as I feel.”  
   
Jay blinked and then smiled slightly, sliding closer to rest his head on Bruce’s shoulder, “I didn’t think Batman got nervous.”  
   
Bruce chuckled wrapping his arms around him, “Are you kidding?   I hate these things.”  
   
“Really?” Jay asked raising his head, “How come?”  
   
Bruce shrugged, “This is the only place I have to pretend I’m something I’m not. At first, it was fun, you know. The irony of it was enough to sustain me past the clinging women and the whispered comments about how much I was letting my father down. Now” Bruce leaned his head back resting it on the back of the seat “ . . . I’m tired of it.”  
   
“Well” Jay began thoughtfully, “you know, after this,” he waved a hand indicating the two of them, “You can sort of change the tune if you know what I mean.”  
   
Bruce frowned, “No, what do you mean?”  
   
“Ok, not to be too cliché or anything but your life as you’ve lived it visible to the public is the text book definition of someone trying to deny his sexuality. So after we come out tonight, you can have a total behavioral change. You’ll be free, you can skip these things and act more like yourself and everyone will assume it’s because you’ve finally come to terms with who you are. There’ll still be rumors, to be sure, but they’ll be of a different nature.” Jay waggled his eyebrows at him and Bruce laughed, “And the best part, you probably will have done more tonight to convince people that that you could never be Batman than you will have the entire time you were playing the playboy.”  
   
Bruce blinked, “you know, I hadn’t even though of it like that, you’re right. This is my chance to get out of it.” He grabbed Jay and hugged him hard, “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”  
   
Jay held him, and kissed him gently on the temple, “like wise, Bruce, like wise.”  
   
*  
   
“So,” Jay asked nervously as he fingered the second amulet that Miriam had given him that would keep the pictures at bay.   He looked around the crowed room of expensively dressed people and forced himself stop tallying how much the place was worth, “How, exactly, is this going to work again? We just shout, hey guys we’re gay?”  
   
Bruce put a comforting hand on his shoulder. They had agreed before hand that they would keep the public displays of affection to a minimum, other wise Bruce would have pulled him into a hug “The hostess will ask who you are, I’ll say you’re my date and then we get to watch her turn strange colors as she searches for a reply.”  
   
Jay laughed, “I think I’m rubbing off on you.”  
   
Bruce nodded solemnly, “In more ways that one.”  
   
Jay’s response was interrupted as a woman in a stunning—and astronomically expensive—evening gown swept towards them. “Bruce, darling, so good to see you! And who is this?” The woman inquired politely.  
   
“Hello Andréa, this is my date, Jay O’Connell.”  
   
Andréa blinked, and then laughed nervously, “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite hear you darling, all this noise you know. Who is this again?”  
   
“My date.” Bruce stressed the word date, “Jay O’Connell.”  
   
“Oh.” Andréa squeaked her voice going up several octaves, and she fought to bring it back down, “I didn’t realize, that is” her cheeks flushed a shade of deepest scarlet that clashed horribly with her golden gown but she rallied, “welcome Mr. O’Connell, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”  
   
Jay laughed, “Nice to meet you to. This is quite the place you have here.”  
   
“Thank you.” Andréa replied societal mask firmly back in place, “Now I really must be off. Bruce you, of course, know your way around. Do enjoy yourselves.”  She hurried away, and was soon lost in the twirling mass of gowns.  
   
Bruce turned to Jay, “what are you suddenly so happy about?”  
   
Jay smiled wickedly “I’d forgotten. Polite society and all that. They can’t say anything. Oh my God this is going to be fun.”    
   
In the end they didn’t stay for very long. Jay got bored quickly, mostly because everyone they talked to soon made excuses to be elsewhere. Bruce gave him a tour of the building and Jay had to continually rein in his impulse to tally the cost of everything. At one point when they were out of sight, Bruce pulled him close and whispered, “So how much are you up to?”  
   
Jay grinned sleepily, “You can tell huh?”  
   
Bruce kissed him quickly, “Yeah, So?”  
   
“I’m not sure. I keep interrupting myself mid calculation.”  
   
Bruce kissed him again, “You know you’re allowed, right? It’s hardly a crime to calculate the net worth of someone’s possession.” He chuckled, “A great many people make their living that way.”  
   
Jay kissed him back, “Still, it’s not the best habit. Can we go? I feel the overwhelming need to have you nail me to a mattress.”  
   
Bruce shivered, “yes, we can definitely go.”  
   
*  
They didn’t make it to a mattress. They said their good byes to Andréa who seemed much relived to have them go, and then piled back into the limo. Bruce put the glass up almost immediately and then pulled Jay to him. “Thank you.”  
   
Jay nuzzled him, “For what?”  
   
“For everything. For dating me, for loving me, for continuing this when we both knew that it was going to be so hard.”  
   
Jay groaned as Bruce started stoking him gently through his pants, “Skin, I want you touching skin.” He groaned again as Bruce helped him out of his pants, “And, you—god yes—you’re welcome. Thank you for the same. Thank you for not going away.”  
   
Bruce stroked him gently, Jay arching to the touch. Jay began tugging at Bruce’s trousers,  
   
*   *   *  
   
“Gentlemen. The virus is ready.”  
   
“Finally. It’s only taken what? Almost three years?”  
   
“Yes,” the voice replied acidly, “Because I could have foreseen a rouge Lex Luther trying to merge all the worlds and undoing half my work.”  
   
“You should have been finished—  
   
“Enough!” They turned guiltily towards the third figure in the room, once he had their attention he continued. “This is not the time for infighting! We are about to embark on the realization of, what is for some of us, several life times of work. We three will bring about a purified earth, removing the filth and ditris of mankind. I will not have this tainted by your bickering.” He turned towards the first speaker, “Once enacted, how long will it take for the virus to come into effect?”  
   
“Once I run the initial program it will take up to seventy two hours to shut down all systems world wide.    Again, as I previously explained, it will then be a cumulative affect as the systems that control oil rigs and hospital records and so forth all go off line there will be a dwindling of readily accessible resources. Transportation will become erratic, and unverifiable. Gas will cease to be readily available. It will then allow you to step in and put a stop to any counter measures that they may put in place, and I’m not operating under any delusions—and nor should either of you—that they won’t throw challenges our way; but as for the virus, it is immutable. There is no antivirus. Once in place it can never be undone. They can build new systems, of course they will have to do so manually as no assembly line will be functional, they will be able to rely on any paper trails they have but no system currently in use will ever be accessible again.”  
   
“Wonderful. Gareth you will have your army ready in one week as will I. And then, gentlemen, it shall begin.”  
 

END


End file.
